Associations between Gut Microbiota and Common Luminal Intestinal Parasites

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier (Cell Press) via the DOI in this record.The development and integration of DNA-based methods in research and clinical microbiology laboratories have enabled standardised and comprehensive detection and differentiation of the microbes colonising our guts. For instance, the single-celled parasites Blastocystis and Dientamoeba appear to be much more common than previously thought, especially so in healthy individuals. While increasing evidence appears to suggest limited pathogenicity of these parasites, next-generation-sequencing-based studies have helped us to appreciate links between parasite colonisation and certain host phenotypical characteristics and gut microbial profiles. The fundamental question remains as to whether such parasites are merely indicators or active manipulators of gut microbiota structure and function. In this article, we collate existing evidence that these parasites are, at minimum, indicators of intestinal microbiota structure

Highly thermostable carboxylic acid reductases generated by ancestral sequence reconstruction (article)

This is the final version. Available on open access from Nature Research via the DOI in this recordThe research data supporting this publication are openly available in ORE at https://doi.org/10.24378/exe.2003Carboxylic acid reductases (CARs) are biocatalysts of industrial importance. Their properties, especially their poor stability, render them sub-optimal for use in a bioindustrial pipeline. Here, we employed ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR) – a burgeoning engineering tool that can identify stabilizing but enzymatically neutral mutations throughout a protein. We used a three-algorithm approach to reconstruct functional ancestors of the Mycobacterial and Nocardial CAR1 orthologues. Ancestral CARs (AncCARs) were confirmed to be CAR enzymes with a preference for aromatic carboxylic acids. Ancestors also showed varied tolerances to solvents, pH and in vivo-like salt concentrations. Compared to well-studied extant CARs, AncCARs had a Tm up to 35 °C higher, with half-lives up to nine times longer than the greatest previously observed. Using ancestral reconstruction we have expanded the existing CAR toolbox with three new thermostable CAR enzymes, providing access to the high temperature biosynthesis of aldehydes to drive new applications in biocatalysis.Glaxosmithkline Research & Development Lt

Tart Cherry Concentrate Does Not Alter the Gut Microbiome, Glycaemic Control or Systemic Inflammation in a Middle-Aged Population.

This is the final version. available from MDPI via the DOI in this recordLimited evidence suggests that the consumption of polyphenols may improve glycaemic control and insulin sensitivity. The gut microbiome produces phenolic metabolites and increases their bioavailability. A handful of studies have suggested that polyphenol consumption alters gut microbiome composition. There are no data available investigating such effects in polyphenol-rich Montmorency cherry (MC) supplementation. A total of 28 participants (aged 40-60 years) were randomized to receive daily MC or glucose and energy-matched placebo supplementation for 4 wk. Faecal and blood samples were obtained at baseline and at 4 wk. There was no clear effect of supplementation on glucose handling (Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) and Gutt indices), although the Matsuda index decreased significantly in the MC group post-supplementation, reflecting an increase in serum insulin concentration. Contrastingly, placebo, but not MC supplementation induced a 6% increase in the Oral Glucose Insulin Sensitivity (OGIS) estimate of glucose clearance. Serum IL-6 and C reactive protein were unaltered by either supplement. The faecal bacterial microbiome was sequenced; species richness and diversity were unchanged by MC or placebo and no significant correlation existed between changes in Bacteroides and Faecalibacterium abundance and any index of insulin sensitivity. Therefore, 4 weeks of MC supplementation did not alter the gut microbiome, glycaemic control or systemic concentrations of IL-6 and CRP in a middle-aged population.The Cherry Marketing Institut

Halioticida noduliformans infection in eggs of lobster (Homarus gammarus) reveals its generalist parasitic strategy in marine invertebrates

This is the final version of the article. Available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.A parasite exhibiting Oomycete-like morphology and pathogenesis was isolated from discoloured eggs of the European lobster (Homarus gammarus) and later found in gill tissues of adults. Group-specific Oomycete primers were designed to amplify the 18S ribosomal small subunit (SSU), which initially identified the organism as the same as the ‘Haliphthoros’ sp. NJM 0034 strain (AB178865.1) previously isolated from abalone (imported from South Australia to Japan). However, in accordance with other published SSU-based phylogenies, the NJM 0034 isolate did not group with other known Haliphthoros species in our Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian phylogenies. Instead, the strain formed an orphan lineage, diverging before the separation of the Saprolegniales and Pythiales. Based upon 28S large subunit (LSU) phylogeny, our own isolate and the previously unidentified 0034 strain are both identical to the abalone pathogen Halioticida noduliformans. The genus shares morphological similarities with Haliphthoros and Halocrusticida and forms a clade with these in LSU phylogenies. Here, we confirm the first recorded occurrence of H. noduliformans in European lobsters and associate its presence with pathology of the egg mass, likely leading to reduced fecundity.This work was conducted within the Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture Futures, a joint initiative between the University of Exeter and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and funded by a Cefas-Exeter University Alliance PhD Studentship to CH. Work was also supported through the Agri-Tech Catalyst, Industrial Stage Awards, Lobster Grower 2 project funded by Innovate UK (102531) and BBSRC (BB/N013891/1) and Defra contracts C6560 and C7277 to D

Halioticida noduliformans infection in eggs of lobster ( Homarus gammarus ) reveals its generalist parasitic strategy in marine invertebrates

publisher: Elsevier articletitle: Halioticida noduliformans infection in eggs of lobster (Homarus gammarus) reveals its generalist parasitic strategy in marine invertebrates journaltitle: Journal of Invertebrate Pathology articlelink: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2018.03.002 content_type: article copyright: © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.0000-0002-6719-5565The file attached is the Published/publisher’s pdf version of the articleThis is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/BY/4.0/)

The first clawed lobster virus Homarus gammarus nudivirus (HgNV n. sp.) expands the diversity of the Nudiviridae

This is the final version. Available from Nature Research via the DOI in this record. Viral diseases of crustaceans are increasingly recognised as challenges to shellfish farms and fisheries. Here we describe the first naturally-occurring virus reported in any clawed lobster species. Hypertrophied nuclei with emarginated chromatin, characteristic histopathological lesions of DNA virus infection, were observed within the hepatopancreatic epithelial cells of juvenile European lobsters (Homarus gammarus). Transmission electron microscopy revealed infection with a bacilliform virus containing a rod shaped nucleocapsid enveloped in an elliptical membrane. Assembly of PCR-free shotgun metagenomic sequencing produced a circular genome of 107,063 bp containing 97 open reading frames, the majority of which share sequence similarity with a virus infecting the black tiger shrimp: Penaeus monodon nudivirus (PmNV). Multiple phylogenetic analyses confirm the new virus to be a novel member of the Nudiviridae: Homarus gammarus nudivirus (HgNV). Evidence of occlusion body formation, characteristic of PmNV and its closest relatives, was not observed, questioning the horizontal transmission strategy of HgNV outside of the host. We discuss the potential impacts of HgNV on juvenile lobster growth and mortality and present HgNV-specific primers to serve as a diagnostic tool for monitoring the virus in wild and farmed lobster stocks.Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS)Innovate UKBBSR

Organelles in Blastocystis that blur the distinction between mitochondria and hydrogenosomes.

addresses: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, B3H 1X5, Canada. [email protected]: PMCID: PMC2428068types: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tOpen Access Article. This is a copy of an article published in Current Biology © Elsevier. Current Biology is available online at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09609822Blastocystis is a unicellular stramenopile of controversial pathogenicity in humans. Although it is a strict anaerobe, Blastocystis has mitochondrion-like organelles with cristae, a transmembrane potential and DNA. An apparent lack of several typical mitochondrial pathways has led some to suggest that these organelles might be hydrogenosomes, anaerobic organelles related to mitochondria. We generated 12,767 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from Blastocystis and identified 115 clusters that encode putative mitochondrial and hydrogenosomal proteins. Among these is the canonical hydrogenosomal protein iron-only [FeFe] hydrogenase that we show localizes to the organelles. The organelles also have mitochondrial characteristics, including pathways for amino acid metabolism, iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis, and an incomplete tricarboxylic acid cycle as well as a mitochondrial genome. Although complexes I and II of the electron transport chain (ETC) are present, we found no evidence for complexes III and IV or F1Fo ATPases. The Blastocystis organelles have metabolic properties of aerobic and anaerobic mitochondria and of hydrogenosomes. They are convergently similar to organelles recently described in the unrelated ciliate Nyctotherus ovalis. These findings blur the boundaries between mitochondria, hydrogenosomes, and mitosomes, as currently defined, underscoring the disparate selective forces that shape these organelles in eukaryotes

Localisation of nitrate-reducing and highly abundant microbial communities in the oral cavity

This is the final version. Available on open access from Public Library of Science via the DOI in this record. Data Availability: All relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information filesThe nitrate (NO3-) reducing bacteria resident in the oral cavity have been implicated as key mediators of nitric oxide (NO) homeostasis and human health. NO3--reducing oral bacteria reduce inorganic dietary NO3- to nitrite (NO2-) via the NO3--NO2--NO pathway. Studies of oral NO3--reducing bacteria have typically sampled from either the tongue surface or saliva. The aim of this study was to assess whether other areas in the mouth could contain a physiologically relevant abundance of NO3- reducing bacteria, which may be important for sampling in clinical studies. The bacterial composition of seven oral sample types from 300 individuals were compared using a meta-analysis of the Human Microbiome Project data. This analysis revealed significant differences in the proportions of 20 well-established oral bacteria and highly abundant NO3--reducing bacteria across each oral site. The genera included Actinomyces, Brevibacillus, Campylobacter, Capnocytophaga, Corynebacterium, Eikenella, Fusobacterium, Granulicatella, Haemophilus, Leptotrichia, Microbacterium, Neisseria, Porphyromonas, Prevotella, Propionibacterium, Rothia, Selenomonas, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus and Veillonella. The highest proportion of NO3--reducing bacteria was observed in saliva, where eight of the bacterial genera were found in higher proportion than on the tongue dorsum, whilst the lowest proportions were found in the hard oral surfaces. Saliva also demonstrated higher intra-individual variability and bacterial diversity. This study provides new information on where samples should be taken in the oral cavity to assess the abundance of NO3--reducing bacteria. Taking saliva samples may benefit physiological studies, as saliva contained the highest abundance of NO3- reducing bacteria and is less invasive than other sampling methods. These results inform future studies coupling oral NO3--reducing bacteria research with physiological outcomes affecting human health

Stabilizing role of platelet P2Y(12) receptors in shear-dependent thrombus formation on ruptured plaques

Background: In most models of experimental thrombosis, healthy blood vessels are damaged. This results in the formation of a platelet thrombus that is stabilized by ADP signaling via P2Y(12) receptors. However, such models do not predict involvement of P2Y(12) in the clinically relevant situation of thrombosis upon rupture of atherosclerotic plaques. We investigated the role of P2Y(12) in thrombus formation on (collagen-containing) atherosclerotic plaques in vitro and in vivo, by using a novel mouse model of atherothrombosis. Methodology: Plaques in the carotid arteries from Apoe(-/-) mice were acutely ruptured by ultrasound treatment, and the thrombotic process was monitored via intravital fluorescence microscopy. Thrombus formation in vitro was assessed in mouse and human blood perfused over collagen or plaque material under variable conditions of shear rate and coagulation. Effects of two reversible P2Y(12) blockers, ticagrelor (AZD6140) and cangrelor (AR-C69931MX), were investigated. Principal Findings: Acute plaque rupture by ultrasound treatment provoked rapid formation of non-occlusive thrombi, which were smaller in size and unstable in the presence of P2Y(12) blockers. In vitro, when mouse or human blood was perfused over collagen or atherosclerotic plaque material, blockage or deficiency of P2Y(12) reduced the thrombi and increased embolization events. These P2Y(12) effects were present at shear rates >500 s(-1), and they persisted in the presence of coagulation. P2Y(12)-dependent thrombus stabilization was accompanied by increased fibrin(ogen) binding. Conclusions/Significance: Platelet P2Y(12) receptors play a crucial role in the stabilization of thrombi formed on atherosclerotic plaques. This P2Y(12) function is restricted to high shear flow conditions, and is preserved in the presence of coagulation

In mice, proteinuria and renal inflammatory responses to albumin overload are strain-dependent.

BACKGROUND: The availability of genetically modified mice has increased the need for relevant mouse models of renal disease, but widely used C57BL/6 mice often show resistance to proteinuria. 129/Sv mice are considered more sensitive to certain renal models. Albumin overload, an important model of proteinuric disease, induces marked proteinuria in rats but barely in C57BL/6 mice. We hypothesized that albumin overload would induce more proteinuria in 129S2/Sv than C57BL/6J mice. METHODS: Male and female C57BL/6J and 129S2/Sv mice received bovine serum albumin (BSA) for 11 days. Control groups received saline injections. Injected BSA was immunohistochemically localized to study intrarenal handling of overloaded protein. Renal macrophage infiltration (F4/80 immuno-staining) and glomerular ultrastructure (electron microscopy) were assessed. RESULTS: The BSA-treated groups were similarly hyperproteinemic at Day 11 (D11). Proteinuria differed widely. In C57BL/6J mice, it remained unchanged in females but significantly, though mildly, increased in males (from 3+/-1 to 8+/-2 mg/day, P < 0.05). In 129S2/Sv, proteinuria was marked in both males and females (4+/-1 to 59+/-14, and 0.6+/-0.2 to 29+/-9 mg/day, respectively, both P < 0.01). Proteinuria was accompanied by tubulo-interstitial macrophage infiltration in 129S2/Sv mice. Injected BSA was visualized within glomeruli in both strains and in the urinary space and tubules of 129S2/Sv but not C57BL/6J mice, indicating much greater glomerular leakage in the former. No glomerular macrophages or ultra-structural differences were detected. CONCLUSION: There are major strain differences in the proteinuria and renal inflammatory response of mice to albumin overload, which are not due to structural variation in the filtration barrier but possibly to functional differences in glomerular protein permeability