Project description:Background: Cyanobacteria are ecologically significant prokaryotes that can be found in heavy metals contaminated environments. As their photosynthetic machinery imposes high demands for metals, homeostasis of these micronutrients has been extensively considered in cyanobacteria. Recently, most studies have been focused on different habitats using microalgae leads to a remarkable reduction of an array of organic and inorganic nutrients, but what takes place in the extracellular environment when cells are exposed to external supplementation with heavy metals remains largely unknown. Methods: Here, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) production in strains Nostoc sp. N27P72 and Nostoc sp. FB71 was isolated from different habitats and thenthe results were compared and reported . Result: Cultures of both strains, supplemented separately with either glucose, sucrose, lactose, or maltose showed that production of EPS and cell dry weight were boosted by maltose supplementation. The production of EPS (9.1 ± 0.05 μg/ml) and increase in cell dry weight (1.01 ± 0.06 g/l) were comparatively high in Nostoc sp. N27P72 which was isolated from lime stones.The cultures were evaluated for their ability to remove Cu (II), Cr (III), and Ni (II) in culture media with and without maltose. The crude EPS showed metal adsorption capacity assuming the order Ni (II)> Cu (II)> Cr (III) from the metal-binding experiments .Nickel was preferentially biosorbed with a maximal uptake of 188.8 ± 0.14 mg (g cell dry wt) -1 crude EPS. We found that using maltose as a carbon source can increase the production of EPS, protein, and carbohydrates content and it could be a significant reason for the high ability of metal absorbance. FT-IR spectroscopy revealed that the treatment with Ni can change the functional groups and glycoside linkages in both strains. Results of Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) were used to determine the biochemical composition of Nostoc sp. N27P72, showed that strong Ni (II) removal capability could be associated with the high silicon containing heterocyclic compound and aromatic diacid compounds content. Conclusion: The results of this studyindicatede that strains Nostoc sp. N27P72 can be a good candidate for the commercial production of EPS and might be utilized in bioremediation field as an alternative to synthetic and abiotic flocculants.
Project description:Background: Cyanobacteria are ecologically significant prokaryotes that can be found in heavy metals contaminated environments. As their photosynthetic machinery imposes high demands for metals, homeostasis of these micronutrients has been extensively considered in cyanobacteria. Recently, most studies have been focused on different habitats using microalgae leads to a remarkable reduction of an array of organic and inorganic nutrients, but what takes place in the extracellular environment when cells are exposed to external supplementation with heavy metals remains largely unknown. Methods: Here, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) production in strains Nostoc sp. N27P72 and Nostoc sp. FB71 was isolated from different habitats and thenthe results were compared and reported . Result: Cultures of both strains, supplemented separately with either glucose, sucrose, lactose, or maltose showed that production of EPS and cell dry weight were boosted by maltose supplementation. The production of EPS (9.1 ± 0.05 μg/ml) and increase in cell dry weight (1.01 ± 0.06 g/l) were comparatively high in Nostoc sp. N27P72 which was isolated from lime stones.The cultures were evaluated for their ability to remove Cu (II), Cr (III), and Ni (II) in culture media with and without maltose. The crude EPS showed metal adsorption capacity assuming the order Ni (II)> Cu (II)> Cr (III) from the metal-binding experiments .Nickel was preferentially biosorbed with a maximal uptake of 188.8 ± 0.14 mg (g cell dry wt) -1 crude EPS. We found that using maltose as a carbon source can increase the production of EPS, protein, and carbohydrates content and it could be a significant reason for the high ability of metal absorbance. FT-IR spectroscopy revealed that the treatment with Ni can change the functional groups and glycoside linkages in both strains. Results of Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) were used to determine the biochemical composition of Nostoc sp. N27P72, showed that strong Ni (II) removal capability could be associated with the high silicon containing heterocyclic compound and aromatic diacid compounds content.
Project description:Fasting-induced autophagy in the intestine is beneficial for body health. This study was designed to explore the relationship between the host metabolism and intestinal autophagy. Broilers were randomly assigned into 48 cages. At 0 (CT), 12 (FH12), 24 (FH24), 36 (FH36), 48(FH48), and 72 h (FH72) before 09:00 a.m. on day 25, eight cages of birds were randomly allotted to each fasting time point using completely random design, and their food was removed. At 09:00 a.m. on day 25, the blood and jejunum were sampled for serum metabolome and autophagy gene analyses, respectively. The results showed that the autophagy gene Atg7 has a good quadratic fit with fasting duration (R2 = 0.432, p < 0.001). Serum phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and lyso-PE were decreased in the birds that were fasted for 24 h or longer. Conversely, the serum phosphatidylcholine (PC) and lyso-PC were increased in the birds that were fasted for 36 h or longer. Metabolism pathway analysis showed that the serum glycerophospholipid, phenylalanine, and GnRH signaling pathways were downregulated with the extended fasting duration. The serum metabolites involved in glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor biosynthesis, autophagy, and ferroptosis were upregulated in all of the fasted groups. Correlation analysis showed that serum PE (18:3(9Z,12Z,15Z)/P-18:0) was a potential biomarker for intestinal autophagy. Our findings provide a potential biomarker related to intestinal autophagy.
Project description:BackgroundIntermittent fasting (IF) has received wide attention as an effective diet strategy. Existing studies showed that IF is a promising approach for weight control, improving insulin sensitivity and reducing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) prevalence.MethodsTwenty-eight 8-month-old male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into a normal control group (NC), a high-fat diet group (HFD) and an HFD + IF group. Body weight (BW) and food intake were monitored weekly. After 20 weeks, the intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT), oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), and intraperitoneal insulin tolerance test (IPITT) were performed weekly in sequence. Fresh faeces were collected to examine changes in gut microbiota, and serum untargeted metabolite profiling was conducted on serum samples.ResultsIF significantly reduced weight gain, fat mass and liver weight, improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in middle-aged mice fed with high-fat diet. 16 S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that IF significantly reduced the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio by increased Muribaculaceae, Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, and decreased Bilophila, Colidextribacter, Oscillibacter. The serum untargeted metabolomics revealed that IF could modulate differential metabolites and metabolic pathways associated with glycolipid metabolism. Spearman's correlation analysis indicated that key differential microbiota were strongly correlated with glucose metabolism-related indicators and serum metabolites such as stearic acid, obeticholic acid, and N-acetylglycine.ConclusionsIF improves glucose metabolism, regulates gut microbiota, and alters serum metabolites in middle-aged mice fed a high-fat diet. This provides a new pathway for trials testing diabetes prevention in middle-aged and elderly patients.
Project description:We report for the first time movement of Correia Repeat Enclosed Elements, through inversion of the element at its chromosomal location. Analysis of Ion Torrent generated genome sequence data from Neisseria gonorrhoeae strain NCCP11945 passaged for 8 weeks in the laboratory under standard conditions and stress conditions revealed a total of 37 inversions: 24 were exclusively seen in the stressed sample; 7 in the control sample; and the remaining 3 were seen in both samples. These inversions have the capability to alter gene expression in N. gonorrhoeae through the previously determined activities of the sequence features of these elements. In addition, the locations of predicted non-coding RNAs were investigated to identify potential associations with CREE. Associations varied between strains, as did the number of each element identified. The analysis indicates a role for CREE in disrupting ancestral regulatory networks, including non-coding RNAs. RNA-Seq was used to examine expression changes related to Correia repeats in the strain
Project description:Continuing improvements in analytical technology along with an increased interest in performing comprehensive, quantitative metabolic profiling, is leading to increased interest pressures within the metabolomics community to develop centralized metabolite reference resources for certain clinically important biofluids, such as cerebrospinal fluid, urine and blood. As part of an ongoing effort to systematically characterize the human metabolome through the Human Metabolome Project, we have undertaken the task of characterizing the human serum metabolome. In doing so, we have combined targeted and non-targeted NMR, GC-MS and LC-MS methods with computer-aided literature mining to identify and quantify a comprehensive, if not absolutely complete, set of metabolites commonly detected and quantified (with today's technology) in the human serum metabolome. Our use of multiple metabolomics platforms and technologies allowed us to substantially enhance the level of metabolome coverage while critically assessing the relative strengths and weaknesses of these platforms or technologies. Tables containing the complete set of 4229 confirmed and highly probable human serum compounds, their concentrations, related literature references and links to their known disease associations are freely available at http://www.serummetabolome.ca.
Project description:BackgroundGut microbial compositional and functional variation can affect health and production performance of farm animals. Analysing metabolites in biological samples provides information on the basic mechanisms that affect the well-being and production traits in farm animals. However, the extent to which host breeds affect the gut microbiome and serum metabolome in meat rabbits is still unknown. In this study, the differences in phylogenetic composition and functional capacities of gut microbiota in two commercial rabbit breeds Elco and Ira were determined by 16S rRNA gene and metagenomic sequencing. The alternations in serum metabolome in the two rabbit breeds were detected using ultra-performance liquid chromatography system coupled with quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOFMS).ResultsSequencing results revealed that there were significant differences in the gut microbiota of the two breeds studied, suggesting that host breeds affect structure and diversity of gut microbiota. Numerous breed-associated microorganisms were identified at different taxonomic levels and most microbial taxa belonged to the families Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae. In particular, several short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) producing species including Coprococcus comes, Ruminococcus faecis, Ruminococcus callidus, and Lachnospiraceae bacterium NK4A136 could be considered as biomarkers for improving the health and production performance in meat rabbits. Additionally, gut microbial functional capacities related to bacterial chemotaxis, ABC transporters, and metabolism of different carbohydrates, amino acids, and lipids varied greatly between rabbit breeds. Several fatty acids, amino acids, and organic acids in the serum were identified as breed-associated, where certain metabolites could be regarded as biomarkers correlated with the well-being and production traits of meat rabbits. Correlation analysis between breed-associated microbial species and serum metabolites revealed significant co-variations, indicating the existence of cross-talk among host-gut microbiome-serum metabolome.ConclusionsOur study provides insight into how gut microbiome and serum metabolome of meat rabbits are affected by host breeds and uncovers potential biomarkers important for breed improvement of meat rabbits.
Project description:ObjectivesObservational studies have reported that diabetes is a risk factor that increases the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). However, the causal relationship remains a matter of debate. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between fasting serum glucose (FSG) and ASCVD.MethodsThis study used data from the Korean Cancer Prevention Study-II (KCPS-II) Biobank, consisting of 159,844 people recruited with consent from 18 health examination centers from 2004 to 2013. Outcomes were confirmed based on diagnoses on hospital discharge summaries from National Health Insurance System. We used linear and non-linear Mendelian randomization (MR) methods. The outcome data were obtained from KCPS-II, and the exposure data were derived from the Korean Genome Epidemiology Study.ResultsFirst, a prospective cohort study estimated that for each 10 mg/dL increase in FSG level, the risk of ASCVD increased by 5% (hazard ratio [HR], 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04 to 1.06). Second, the 2-sample MR study showed that every 10 mg/dL increase in FSG influenced the risk of ASCVD (odds ratio [OR], 1.11; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.18). Third, the multivariable MR study showed that the OR per 10 mg/dL increase in FSG on ASCVD was 1.14 (p<0.001). Similar results were found for a 10 mg/dL increase in FSG and ischemic heart disease (IHD), but a significant relationship with stroke was not found. When performing non-linear MR, a linear relationship was observed between fasting blood sugar and ASCVD, including IHD and stroke.ConclusionsFSG showed a linear and causal association with IHD, but not with stroke.
Project description:Pomegranate juice (PGJ) is rich in unique bioactive compounds that can be used in the management of various diseases/disorders such as cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer disease, hypertension, and diabetes. Here, we aimed to investigate the effects of fresh PGJ on levels of melatonin, insulin, and fasting blood glucose in people with impaired fasting glucose (IFG). The study was a randomized clinical trial in which 28 participants (10 males, 18 females) with IFG were recruited from Irbid Central Laboratory and the Diabetes Clinic of the University Hospital at Jordan University of Science and Technology. Blood specimens from each participant were collected before (-5 min), and 1 and 3 hr after PGJ administration at 1.5 ml/kg of the body weight, and melatonin, insulin, and glucose were measured. People with IFG, but not healthy individuals, had significant antihyperglycemic response (p < .0001) to PGJ 3 hr after ingesting the juice. This response was not correlated with the age of participants (p = .4287). In addition, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance was significantly decreased (p < .0001) among people with IFG 3 hr after ingesting the juice. Moreover, 1 hr after PGJ administration, decreases in melatonin and increases in insulin were significantly observed among healthy (p = .0284, p = .0017) and IFG (p = .0056, p = .0007) individuals, respectively. In conclusion, fresh PGJ lowers melatonin, increases the level of insulin, and ameliorates insulin resistance in people with IFG.