Project description:The transcriptional, epigenomic, and genomic profiles of K. pneumoniae isolates were characterised to identify novel colistin and carbapenem resistance mechanisms. The genomic DNA and total RNA of the isolates were isolated and sequenced on PacBio.
Project description:Gut microbiota participates in diverse metabolic and homeostatic functions related to health and well-being. Individual variation in its composition depends on many factors including dietary factors. We profiled enzymatic activity of fecal microbiota in 63 healthy adult individuals using metaproteomics, and identified Bacteroides and Prevotella –derived microbial CAZy (carbohydrate-active) enzymes involved in glycan foraging. One particular profile with many Bacteroides-derived CAZy was identified in one-third of subjects (n=20), and it associated with high abundancy of Bacteroides in most subjects. In other subjects (n=8) with dietary parameters similar to former, microbiota showed intense expression of Prevotella-derived CAZy including exo−beta−(1,4)−xylanase, xylan-1,4−beta−xylosidase, alpha−L−arabinofuranosidase and several other CAZy belonging to glycosyl hydrolase families involved in digestion of complex plant-derived polysaccharides. This associated invariably with robust representation of Prevotella in gut microbiota, while subjects with intermediate representation of Prevotella showed no CAZy profile. Identification of Bacteroides- and Prevotella-derived CAZy in microbiota proteome and their association with robust differences in microbiota composition, the latter with exceptionally high Prevotella abundancy in the gut, are in evidence of individual variation in metabolic adaptation of gut microbiota with an impact on colonizing competence.
Project description:E. coli isolates from different CF patients demonstrate increased growth rate when grown with glycerol, a major component of fecal fat, as the sole carbon source compared to E. coli from healthy controls. CF and control E. coli isolates have differential gene expression when grown in minimal media with glycerol as the sole carbon source. While CF isolates display a growth promoting transcriptional profile, control isolates engage stress and stationary phase programs, which likely results in slower growth rates.
Project description:To understand the transcripts regulated by inflammation and how this regulation may differ between different individuals, the transcriptome of HUVECs stimulated with inflammatory mediators was examined in 9 different individuals. In the study present here, HUVEC isolates from 9 different individuals were cultured until passage 4 in fully supplemented growth conditions. Passage 4 HUVEC isolates were then treated with a cocktail of inflammatory mediators (10ng/ml TNF-α, Il-1β, Il-8) for a period of 24 hours prior to RNA extraction. RNA was extracted and hybridised onto CodeLink microarrays. The expression profiles in the inflammatory mediator treated condition were examined along side a superset of the same biological replicates that were untreated (also submitted), to facilitate assessment of the resting transcriptome.
Project description:Maternal secretor status is one of the determinants of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) composition, which in turn changes the gut microbiota composition of infants. To understand if this change in gut microbiota impacts immune cell composition, intestinal morphology and gene expression, day 21-old germ-free mice were transplanted with fecal microbiota from infants whose mothers were either secretors (SMM) or non-secretors (NSM) or from infants consuming dairy-based formula (MFM). For each group, one set of mice was supplemented with HMOs. HMO supplementation did not significantly impact the microbiota diversity however, SMM mice had higher abundance of genus Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, and Blautia, whereas, in the NSM group, there were higher abundance of Akkermansia, Enterocloster, and Klebsiella. In MFM, gut microbiota was represented mainly by Parabacteroides, Ruminococcaceae_unclassified, and Clostrodium_sensu_stricto. In mesenteric lymph node, Foxp3+ T cells and innate lymphoid cells type 2 (ILC2) were increased in MFM mice supplemented with HMOs while in the spleen, they were increased in SMM+HMOs mice. Similarly, serum immunoglobulin A (IgA) was also elevated in MFM+HMOs group. Distinct global gene expression of the gut was observed in each microbiota group, which was enhanced with HMOs supplementation. Overall, our data shows that distinct infant gut microbiota due to maternal secretor status or consumption of dairy-based formula and HMO supplementation impacts immune cell composition, antibody response and intestinal gene expression in a mouse model.
Project description:We transplanted gut microbiota via fecal transfer from TD and ASD children into germ-free wild-type mice, and reveal that colonization with ASD microbiomes induces hallmark changes in sociability, vocalization, and stereotypies. The brains of mice receiving gut microbiota from ASD individuals display alternative splicing patterns for genes dysregulated in the human ASD brain.
Project description:Kawasaki Disease (KD) is a multisystemic vasculitis of unknown etiology in children. The incidence of KD varies by geographic area and correlates with differences in gut microbiota patterns, with the highest incidence in Asian. This study aimed to investigate alterations in fecal microbiota and assess their relationship with systemic inflammation in KD patients. A total of 59 patients and 55 matched controls were included. Fecal samples were collected at the onset of KD. The V3/V4 regions of 16S rDNA were sequenced using the MiSeq platform. PICRUSt 2 was used to analyze the potential functional pathways involved in gut dysbiosis. Alpha (p<0.042) and beta (p<0.001) diversity in KD were significantly decreased when compared to the control group. After multivariate regression, among the seven critical microbes, increased Bacteroides ovtaus (p=0.016) and decreased Eggerthella lenta (p=0.014) could also predict KD risk using receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis (Eggerthella lenta: area under the ROC curve, AUC=0.841, odds ratio=23.956; Bacteroides ovatus: AUC=0.816, odds ratio=31.365). Notably, Bacteroides ovatus was positively correlated with blood segment cells (p=0.006), but negatively correlated with blood lymphocytes (p=0.013). After multivariate regression, flavone and flavonol biosynthesis decreased in children with KD (p<0.001). Our results indicated that both Bacteroides ovatus and Eggerthella lenta may deregulate flavone and flavonol biosynthesis, consequently modulating immune cells and potentially triggering KD. This study suggests that alterations in the gut microbiota are closely associated with immune responses and provides a new perspective on the etiology, pathogenesis, and treatment of KD.
Project description:Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition which is defined by decreased social communication and the presence of repetitive or stereotypic behaviors. Recent evidence has suggested that the gut-brain axis may be important in neurodevelopment in general and may play a role in ASD in particular. Here, we present a study of the gut microbiome in 96 individuals diagnosed with ASD in Israel, compared to 42 neurotypical individuals. We determined differences in alpha and beta diversity in the microbiome of individuals with ASD and demonstrated that the phylum Bacteroidetes and genus Bacteroides were the most significantly over-represented in individuals with ASD. To understand the possible functional significance of these changes, we treated newborn mice with Bacteroides fragilis at birth. B. fragilis-treated male mice displayed social behavior dysfunction, increased repetitive behaviors and gene expression dysregulation in the prefrontal cortex, while female mice did not display behavioral deficits. These findings suggest that overabundance of Bacteroides, particularly in early life, may have functional consequences for individuals with ASD.
Project description:A subset of post-infection irritable bowel syndrome (PI-IBS) patients have elevated, or high fecal proteolytic activity (PA). Fecal PA has been shown to correlate with increased symptom severity as well as lower quality of life scores, increased fecal output and increased intestinal permeability. To address the underlying mechanisms of barrier disruption as a consequence of high fecal PA, colonic biopsies were collected from healthy individuals PI-IBS patients (n=11). Individuals diagnosed with PI-IBS were further divided in to 2 subgroups, high PA and low PA as defined by the PA in matched fecal samples. RNA was extracted from the biopsies for bulk RNA sequencing to understand transcriptional differences between healthy and high PA PI-IBS patients as well as high PA and Low PA PI-IBS patients.