Project description:D-galactose orally intake ameliorate DNCB-induced atopic dermatitis by modulating microbiota composition and quorum sensing. The increased abundance of bacteroidetes and decreased abundance of firmicutes was confirmed. By D-galactose treatment, Bacteroides population was increased and prevotella, ruminococcus was decreased which is related to atopic dermatitis.
Project description:A cultivation facility that can assist users in controlling the soil water condition is needed for accurately phenotyping plants under drought stress in an artificial environment. Here we report the Internet of Things (IoT)-based pot system controlling optional treatment of soil water condition (iPOTs), an automatic irrigation system that mimics the drought condition in a growth chamber. The Wi-Fi-enabled iPOTs system allows water supply from the bottom of the pot, based on the soil water level set by the user, and automatically controls the soil water level at a desired depth. The iPOTs also allows users to monitor environmental parameters, such as soil temperature, air temperature, humidity, and light intensity, in each pot. To verify whether the iPOTs mimics the drought condition, we conducted a drought stress test on rice varieties and near-isogenic lines, with diverse root system architecture, using the iPOTs system installed in a growth chamber. Similar to the results of a previous drought stress field trial, the growth of shallow-rooted rice accessions was severely affected by drought stress compared with that of deep-rooted accessions. The microclimate data obtained using the iPOTs system increased the accuracy of plant growth evaluation. Transcriptome analysis revealed that pot positions in the growth chamber had little impact on plant growth. Together, these results suggest that the iPOTs system represents a reliable platform for phenotyping plants under drought stress.
Project description:Gut microbiome research is rapidly moving towards the functional characterization of the microbiota by means of shotgun meta-omics. Here, we selected a cohort of healthy subjects from an indigenous and monitored Sardinian population to analyze their gut microbiota using both shotgun metagenomics and shotgun metaproteomics. We found a considerable divergence between genetic potential and functional activity of the human healthy gut microbiota, in spite of a quite comparable taxonomic structure revealed by the two approaches. Investigation of inter-individual variability of taxonomic features revealed Bacteroides and Akkermansia as remarkably conserved and variable in abundance within the population, respectively. Firmicutes-driven butyrogenesis (mainly due to Faecalibacterium spp.) was shown to be the functional activity with the higher expression rate and the lower inter-individual variability in the study cohort, highlighting the key importance of the biosynthesis of this microbial by-product for the gut homeostasis. The taxon-specific contribution to functional activities and metabolic tasks was also examined, giving insights into the peculiar role of several gut microbiota members in carbohydrate metabolism (including polysaccharide degradation, glycan transport, glycolysis and short-chain fatty acid production). In conclusion, our results provide useful indications regarding the main functions actively exerted by the gut microbiota members of a healthy human cohort, and support metaproteomics as a valuable approach to investigate the functional role of the gut microbiota in health and disease.
Project description:Investigation of whole genome gene expression level changes in two asparagus bean accesions B47 and B128 under drought stress, compared to well-watered conditions. Two organs, leaf and root, were sampled for each accesion under both well-watered and drought conditions.
Project description:In this series of experiments, we wanted to study the transcriptional responses of plants to different levels of water limitation. For mild drought stress, we controlled water potential (a scientific concept for dryness of soil) by using an automated watering system. This system adds water to soil based on the pF values reported by a pF sensor in soil. pF is a classical and widely used index of water potential that was first defined by Schofield (1935). For severe stress conditions, we withheld watering or even dried plants on a lab bench. Here, the transcriptional profiles were compared between well-watered and Sds-treated rice seedling shoots.<br>Sds (Severe dehydration stress in soil containers): We designated Sds as a term that means a severe drought stress causing dehydration of plants in our experiments (The plants were dehydrated at the sampling point). The drought stress was achieved by withholding water from plants grown in soil containers.
Project description:In this series of experiments, we wanted to study the transcriptional responses of plants to different levels of water limitation. For mild drought stress, we controlled water potential (a scientific concept for dryness of soil) by using an automated watering system. This system adds water to soil based on the pF values reported by a pF sensor in soil. pF is a classical and widely used index of water potential that was first defined by Schofield (1935). For severe stress conditions, we withheld watering or even dried plants on a lab bench. Here, the transcriptional profiles were compared between well-watered and Sds-treated rice seedling shoot basal region.<br>Sds (Severe dehydration stress in soil containers): We designated Sds as a term that means a severe drought stress causing dehydration of plants in our experiments (The plants were dehydrated at the sampling point). The drought stress was achieved by withholding water from plants grown in soil containers.
Project description:The metagenomes of complex microbial communities are rich sources of novel biocatalysts. We exploited the metagenome of a mixed microbial population for isolation of more than 15 different genes encoding novel biocatalysts by using a combined cultivation and direct cloning strategy. A 16S rRNA sequence analysis revealed the presence of hitherto uncultured microbes closely related to the genera Pseudomonas, Agrobacterium, Xanthomonas, Microbulbifer, and Janthinobacterium. Total genomic DNA from this bacterial community was used to construct cosmid DNA libraries, which were functionally searched for novel enzymes of biotechnological value. Our searches in combination with cosmid sequencing resulted in identification of four clones encoding 12 putative agarase genes, most of which were organized in clusters consisting of two or three genes. Interestingly, nine of these agarase genes probably originated from gene duplications. Furthermore, we identified by DNA sequencing several other biocatalyst-encoding genes, including genes encoding a putative stereoselective amidase (amiA), two cellulases (gnuB and uvs080), an alpha-amylase (amyA), a 1,4-alpha-glucan branching enzyme (amyB), and two pectate lyases (pelA and uvs119). Also, a conserved cluster of two lipase genes was identified, which was linked to genes encoding a type I secretion system. The novel gene aguB was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, and the enzyme activities were determined. Finally, we describe more than 162 kb of DNA sequence that provides a strong platform for further characterization of this microbial consortium.