Project description:Intestinal microbiota colonization is important for intestinal development and health of preterm infants, especially those with extremely low birth weight. Recent studies indicated for a dynamic crosstalk between that gut microbiota and DNA methylome of host intestinal cells. Thereby, we sought to determine the epigenomic and metagenomic consequences of suppression of microbiota colonization in the intestine of preterm neonates to gain insights into biological pathways that shape the interface between the gut microbiota and the preterm intestinal cells. We examined 14 preterm piglets by comparing the conventional preterm neonates with those ones treated with oral antibiotics for genome wide DNA methylation and 16S rDNA microbiome. Our results demonstrated an extensive genome-wide DNA methylation changes in response to the suppression of intestinal microbe colonization, especially genes involved in neonatal immune response signaling and glycol-metabolism pathways were identified. Our study highlights several key genes that might predispose preterm neonates to NEC risk due to their key roles involved in the immune-metabolic networks. Our study not only provided rich omic-data to interpret molecular program in relation with microbiota-associated methylome-proteome network changes, but also confer clinical usage of key gene markers for potential early diagnostics of NEC of preterm neonates.
Project description:Chronic acid suppression by proton pump inhibitor (PPI) has been hypothesized to alter the gut microbiota via a change in intestinal pH. To evaluate the changes in gut microbiota composition by long-term PPI treatment. Twenty-four week old F344 rats were fed with (n = 5) or without (n = 6) lansoprazole (PPI) for 50 weeks. Then, profiles of luminal microbiota in the terminal ileum were analyzed. Pyrosequencing for 16S rRNA gene was performed by genome sequencer FLX (454 Life Sciences/Roche) and analyzed by metagenomic bioinformatics.
Project description:We compared the microbiota of paired mouse caecal contents and faeces by applying a multi-omic approach, including 16S rDNA sequencing, shotgun metagenomics, and shotgun metaproteomics. The aim of the study was to verify whether faecal samples are a reliable proxy for the mouse colonic luminal microbiota, as well as to identify changes in taxonomy and functional activity between caecal and faecal microbial communities, which have to be carefully considered when using stool as sample for mouse gut microbiota investigations.
Project description:Analysis of breast cancer survivors' gut microbiota after lifestyle intervention, during the COVID-19 lockdown, by 16S sequencing of fecal samples.
Project description:Advanced age is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation, which is usually referred to as inflammaging. Elderly are also known to have an altered gut microbiota composition. However, whether inflammaging is a cause or consequence of an altered gut microbiota composition is not clear. In this study gut microbiota from young or old conventional mice was transferred to young germ-free mice. Four weeks after gut microbiota transfer immune cell populations in spleen, Peyer’s patches, and mesenteric lymph nodes from conventionalized germ-free mice were analyzed by flow cytometry. In addition, whole-genome gene expression in the ileum was analyzed by microarray. Gut microbiota composition of donor and recipient mice was analyzed with 16S rDNA sequencing. Here we show by transferring aged microbiota to young germ-free mice that certain bacterial species within the aged microbiota promote inflammaging. This effect was associated with lower levels of Akkermansia and higher levels of TM7 bacteria and Proteobacteria in the aged microbiota after transfer. The aged microbiota promoted inflammation in the small intestine in the germ-free mice and enhanced leakage of inflammatory bacterial components into the circulation was observed. Moreover, the aged microbiota promoted increased T cell activation in the systemic compartment. In conclusion, these data indicate that the gut microbiota from old mice contributes to inflammaging after transfer to young germ-free mice.
Project description:Chronic inflammation and gut microbiota dysbiosis are risk factors for colorectal cancer. In clinical practice, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients have a greatly increased risk of developing colitis associated colorectal cancer (CAC). However, the basis underlying the initiation of CAC remains to be explored. Systematic filtration through existing genome-wide association study (GWAS) and conditional deletion of Zfp90 in CAC mice model indicated that Zfp90 was a putative oncogene in CAC development. Strikingly, depletion of gut microbiota eliminated the tumorigenic effect of Zfp90 in CAC mice model. Moreover, fecal microbiota transplantation demonstrated Zfp90 promoted CAC depending on gut microbiota. Combining 16s rDNA sequencing in feces specimens from CAC mice model, we speculated that Prevotella copri-defined microbiota might mediate the oncogenic role of Zfp90 in the development of CAC. Mechanistic studies revealed Zfp90 accelerated CAC development through Tlr4-Pi3k-Akt-Nf-κb pathway. Our findings elucidated the crucial role of Zfp90-microbiota-Nf-κb axis in creating a tumor-promoting environment and suggested therapeutic targets for CAC prevention and treatment.
Project description:Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease in middle-aged and elderly people. The disorder of gut microbiota is involved in the pathophysiological process of various neurological diseases, and many studies have confirmed that gut microbiota is involved in the progression of PD. As one of the most effective methods to reconstruct gut microbiota, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been considered as an important treatment for PD. However, the mechanism of FMT treatment for PD is still lacking, which requires further exploration and can facilitate the application of FMT. As a model organism, Drosophila is highly conserved with mammalian system in maintaining intestinal homeostasis. In this study, there were significant differences in the gut microbiota of conventional Drosophila colonized from PD patients compared to those transplanted from normal controls. And we constructed rotenone-induced PD model in Drosophila followed by FMT in different groups, and investigated the impact of gut microbiome on transcriptome of the PD host. Microbial analysis by 16S rDNA sequencing showed that gut microbiota could affect bacterial structure of PD, which was confirmed by bacterial colonization results. In addition, transcriptome data suggested that gut microbiota can influence gene expression pattern of PD. Further experimental validations confirmed that lysosome and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction are the most significantly influenced functional pathways by PD-derived gut microbiota. In summary, our data reveals the influence of PD-derived gut microbiota on host transcriptome and helps better understanding the interaction between gut microbiota and PD through gut-brain axis. The present study will facilitate the understanding of the mechanism underlying PD treatment with FMT in clinical practice.
Project description:Introduction: Chronic sleep fragmentation (SF) is prevalent in contemporary human society, highlighting detrimental effects on glucose metabolism and adipose tissue morphology, which is closely linked to gut microbiota composition. However, it remains unclear whether sleep recovery (SR) after prolonged SF can ameliorate glucose metabolism, influence the transcriptome of inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT), and whether these effects align with alterations in the gut microbiota. Methods: Mice were subjected to 8 weeks of SF and subsequently allowed 2 weeks of SR. We assessed glucose tolerance through intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests (ipGTT), analyzed gut microbiota via 16s rDNA amplicon sequencing, and examined transcriptomic alterations in iWAT using RNA sequencing. Results: Despite the two-week SR following chronic SF, significant glucose intolerance persisted, accompanied by subtle shifts in the gut microbiota and alterations in gene expression within iWAT. The top hub genes Ncapg, Cenpe, and Tik were identified from the protein-protein interaction network. Conclusion: Even followed by a brief period of SR, prolonged SF still led to ongoing glucose intolerance and alterations in the adipose tissue transcriptome in mice. These changes were intertwined with modifications in the gut microbiome. The shifts in gut microbiota may play a pivotal role in understanding the sustained negative effects of SF.
Project description:To compare the similarities and differences in species diversity of the gut microbiota between the patients with melasma and healthy subjects. The feces were collected for 16S rRNA sequencing analysis of the gut microbiota.