Project description:Monitoring microbial communities can aid in understanding the state of these habitats. Environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques provide efficient and comprehensive monitoring by capturing broader diversity. Besides structural profiling, eDNA methods allow the study of functional profiles, encompassing the genes within the microbial community. In this study, three methodologies were compared for functional profiling of microbial communities in estuarine and coastal sites in the Bay of Biscay. The methodologies included inference from 16S metabarcoding data using Tax4Fun, GeoChip microarrays, and shotgun metagenomics.
Project description:There have been reports of long coronavirus disease (long COVID) and breakthrough infections (BTIs); however, the mechanisms and pathological features of long COVID after Omicron BTIs remain unclear. Assessing long COVID and immune recovery after Omicron BTIs is crucial for understanding the disease and developing and managing new-generation vaccines. Here, we followed up mild BA.2 BTI convalescents for six-month with routine blood tests and neutralization assay. Then, we applied proteomic analysis and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to study the convalescents’ recovery status. Lastly, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical parameters related to immunity and metabolism of the convalescents. We found that major organs exhibited ephemeral dysfunction in double-Convidecia vaccinated persons who experienced BA.2 BTI and recovered to normal in approximately six-month. We observed durable and potent levels of neutralizing antibodies against major circulating severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 sub-variants, including BQ.1, BQ.1.1 and BF.7, indicating that hybrid humoral immunity stays active. However, PLTs may take longer to recover. This was supported by proteomic and scRNA-seq analyses, which also showed coagulation disorder and an imbalance between anti-pathogen immunity and metabolism six-month after BA.2 BTI. The immunity-metabolism imbalance was then proved with retrospective analysis of abnormal levels of hormones, low blood glucose level and coagulation profile. The long-term malfunctional coagulation and imbalance in the material metabolism and immunity may contribute to the development of long COVID and act as useful indicators for assessing recovery and the long-term impacts after Omicron sub-variant BTIs.
Project description:Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) toxins are increasingly used for mosquito control, but little is known about the precise mode of action of each of these toxins, and how they interact to kill mosquito larvae. By using RNA sequencing, we investigated change in gene transcription level and polymorphismvariations associatedwith resistance to each Bti Cry toxin and to the full Bti toxin mixture in the dengue vector Aedes aegypti. The upregulation of genes related to chitin metabolismin all selected strain suggests a generalist, non-toxin-specific response to Bti selection in Aedes aegypti. Changes in the transcription level and/or protein sequences of several putative Cry toxin receptors (APNs, ALPs, α-amylases, glucoside hydrolases, ABC transporters) were specific to each Cry toxin. Selective sweeps associated with Cry4Aa resistancewere detected in 2 ALP and 1 APNgenes. The lack of selection of toxin-specific receptors in the Bti-selected strain supports the hypothesis that Cyt toxin acts as a receptor for Cry toxins in mosquitoes.
Project description:It was analyzed whole genome microarray data to describe the changes in gene transcription profile in human MCF-7 cancer cells under the influence of fatty acid extracts from CLA-enriched and non-enriched egg yolks.Those results might be found useful in assessing the application of CLA-enriched egg as a nutraceutics in cancer prevention.
Project description:We reported the variation in the gut microbiome diversity under the influence of Intrauterine Growth restriction or Exposure to High Fat High fructose diet followed by Intrauterine growth restriction.
Project description:This project aimed at assessing the influence of hypoxic stress on Estrogen receptor alpha genome wide binding to chromatin, in presence or absence of E2 ligand. I also aimed at assessing if a 1-month hypoxic stress followed by 1 month of normoxia imprints an epigenetic memory, therefore altering genome wide ER binding (rescue condition).
