scholarly journals Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: Clostridioides difficile Biofilm as a Reservoir for Recurrent Infections

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1922
Author(s):  
Jazmin Meza-Torres ◽  
Emile Auria ◽  
Bruno Dupuy ◽  
Yannick D. N. Tremblay
Keyword(s):  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Intestinal Tract ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Host Factors ◽  
Clostridioides Difficile ◽  
Gut Epithelium ◽  
Mucosal Layer ◽  
Microbe Interactions ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Host Microbe Interactions

The microbiota inhabiting the intestinal tract provide several critical functions to its host. Microorganisms found at the mucosal layer form organized three-dimensional structures which are considered to be biofilms. Their development and functions are influenced by host factors, host-microbe interactions, and microbe-microbe interactions. These structures can dictate the health of their host by strengthening the natural defenses of the gut epithelium or cause disease by exacerbating underlying conditions. Biofilm communities can also block the establishment of pathogens and prevent infectious diseases. Although these biofilms are important for colonization resistance, new data provide evidence that gut biofilms can act as a reservoir for pathogens such as Clostridioides difficile. In this review, we will look at the biofilms of the intestinal tract, their contribution to health and disease, and the factors influencing their formation. We will then focus on the factors contributing to biofilm formation in C. difficile, how these biofilms are formed, and their properties. In the last section, we will look at how the gut microbiota and the gut biofilm influence C. difficile biofilm formation, persistence, and transmission.

scholarly journals Mucosal microbial parasites/symbionts in health and disease: an integrative overview

Parasitology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 146 (9) ◽  
pp. 1109-1115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert P. Hirt
Keyword(s):  
Host Interactions ◽  
Detection Techniques ◽  
Symbiotic Relationships ◽  
Life Styles ◽  
Mucosal Surfaces ◽  
Microbe Interactions ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Host Microbe Interactions ◽  
Species Being

AbstractMicrobial parasites adapted to thrive at mammalian mucosal surfaces have evolved multiple times from phylogenetically distant lineages into various extracellular and intracellular life styles. Their symbiotic relationships can range from commensalism to parasitism and more recently some host–parasites interactions are thought to have evolved into mutualistic associations too. It is increasingly appreciated that this diversity of symbiotic outcomes is the product of a complex network of parasites–microbiota–host interactions. Refinement and broader use of DNA based detection techniques are providing increasing evidence of how common some mucosal microbial parasites are and their host range, with some species being able to swap hosts, including from farm and pet animals to humans. A selection of examples will illustrate the zoonotic potential for a number of microbial parasites and how some species can be either disruptive or beneficial nodes in the complex networks of host–microbe interactions disrupting or maintaining mucosal homoeostasis. It will be argued that mucosal microbial parasitic diversity will represent an important resource to help us dissect through comparative studies the role of host–microbe interactions in both human health and disease.

scholarly journals Inferring directional relationships in microbial communities using signed Bayesian networks

BMC Genomics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (S6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Musfiqur Sazal ◽  
Kalai Mathee ◽  
Daniel Ruiz-Perez ◽  
Trevor Cickovski ◽  
Giri Narasimhan
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Bayesian Networks ◽  
Bayesian Network ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Community Analysis ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Microbe Interactions ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Colonization Patterns ◽  
Host Microbe Interactions

Abstract Background Microbe-microbe and host-microbe interactions in a microbiome play a vital role in both health and disease. However, the structure of the microbial community and the colonization patterns are highly complex to infer even under controlled wet laboratory conditions. In this study, we investigate what information, if any, can be provided by a Bayesian Network (BN) about a microbial community. Unlike the previously proposed Co-occurrence Networks (CoNs), BNs are based on conditional dependencies and can help in revealing complex associations. Results In this paper, we propose a way of combining a BN and a CoN to construct a signed Bayesian Network (sBN). We report a surprising association between directed edges in signed BNs and known colonization orders. Conclusions BNs are powerful tools for community analysis and extracting influences and colonization patterns, even though the analysis only uses an abundance matrix with no temporal information. We conclude that directed edges in sBNs when combined with negative correlations are consistent with and strongly suggestive of colonization order.

scholarly journals Human Three-Dimensional Endometrial Epithelial Cell Model To Study Host Interactions with Vaginal Bacteria and Neisseria gonorrhoeae

2017 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paweł Łaniewski ◽  
Adriana Gomez ◽  
Geoffrey Hire ◽  
Magdalene So ◽  
Melissa M. Herbst-Kralovetz
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cell ◽  
Neisseria Gonorrhoeae ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Endometrial Epithelial Cell ◽  
Proinflammatory Mediators ◽  
Microbe Interactions ◽  
Host Microbe Interactions

ABSTRACT Colonization of the endometrium by pathogenic bacteria ascending from the lower female reproductive tract (FRT) is associated with many gynecologic and obstetric health complications. To study these host-microbe interactions in vitro, we developed a human three-dimensional (3-D) endometrial epithelial cell (EEC) model using the HEC-1A cell line and the rotating wall vessel (RWV) bioreactor technology. Our model, composed of 3-D EEC aggregates, recapitulates several functional/structural characteristics of human endometrial epithelial tissue, including cell differentiation, the presence of junctional complexes/desmosomes and microvilli, and the production of membrane-associated mucins and Toll-like receptors (TLRs). TLR function was evaluated by exposing the EEC aggregates to viral and bacterial products. Treatment with poly(I·C) and flagellin but not with synthetic lipoprotein (fibroblast-stimulating lipoprotein 1 [FSL-1]) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) significantly induced proinflammatory mediators in a dose-dependent manner. To simulate ascending infection, we infected EEC aggregates with commensal and pathogenic bacteria: Lactobacillus crispatus, Gardnerella vaginalis, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. All vaginal microbiota and N. gonorrhoeae efficiently colonized the 3-D surface, localizing to crevices of the EEC model and interacting with multiple adjacent cells simultaneously. However, only infection with pathogenic N. gonorrhoeae and not infection with the other bacteria tested significantly induced proinflammatory mediators and significant ultrastructural changes to the host cells. The latter observation is consistent with clinical findings and illustrated the functional specificity of our system. Additionally, we highlighted the utility of the 3-D EEC model for the study of the pathogenesis of N. gonorrhoeae using a well-characterized ΔpilT mutant. Overall, this study demonstrates that the human 3-D EEC model is a robust tool for studying host-microbe interactions and bacterial pathogenesis in the upper FRT.

scholarly journals Structural basis of ligand selectivity by a bacterial adhesin lectin involved in multi- species biofilm formation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuaiqi Guo ◽  
Tyler D.R. Vance ◽  
Hossein Zahiri ◽  
Robert Eves ◽  
Corey Stevens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Molecular Basis ◽  
Symbiotic Bacterium ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Ligand Selectivity ◽  
End Groups ◽  
Microbe Interactions ◽  
Host Microbe Interactions ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractCarbohydrate recognition by lectins governs critical host-microbe interactions. MpPA14 lectin is a domain of a 1.5-MDa adhesin responsible for a symbiotic bacterium-diatom interaction in Antarctica. Here we show MpPA14 binds various monosaccharides, with L-fucose and N-acetyl glucosamine being the strongest ligands (Kd ~ 150 μM). High-resolution structures of MpPA14 with 15 different sugars bound elucidated the molecular basis for the lectin’s apparent binding promiscuity but underlying selectivity. MpPA14 mediates strong Ca2+-dependent interactions with the 3, 4 diols of L-fucopyranose and glucopyranoses, and binds other sugars via their specific minor isomers. Thus, MpPA14 only binds polysaccharides like branched glucans and fucoidans with these free end-groups. Consistent with our findings, adhesion of MpPA14 to diatom cells was selectively blocked by L-fucose, but not by N-acetyl galactosamine. With MpPA14 lectin homologs present in adhesins of several pathogens, our work gives insight into an anti-adhesion strategy to block infection via ligand-based antagonists.

scholarly journals Inferring directional relationships in microbial communities using signed Bayesian networks

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Musfiqur Sazal ◽  
Kalai Mathee ◽  
Daniel Ruiz-Perez ◽  
Trevor Cickovski ◽  
Giri Narasimhan
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Bayesian Networks ◽  
Bayesian Network ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Community Analysis ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Microbe Interactions ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Colonization Patterns ◽  
Host Microbe Interactions

AbstractBackgroundMicrobe-microbe and host-microbe interactions in a microbiome play a vital role in both health and disease. However, the structure of the microbial community and the colonization patterns are highly complex to infer even under controlled wet laboratory conditions. In this study, we investigate what information, if any, can be provided by a Bayesian Network (BN) about a microbial community. Unlike the previously proposed Co-occurrence Networks (CoNs), BNs are based on conditional dependencies and can help in revealing complex associations.ResultsIn this paper, we propose a way of combining a BN and a CoN to construct a signed Bayesian Network (sBN). We report a surprising association between directed edges in signed BNs and known colonization orders.ConclusionsBNs are powerful tools for community analysis and extracting influences and colonization patterns, even though the analysis only uses an abundance matrix with no temporal information. We conclude that directed edges in sBNs when combined with negative correlations are consistent with and strongly suggestive of colonization order.

scholarly journals Adaptation of the Gut Microbiota to Modern Dietary Sugars and Sweeteners

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 616-629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara C Di Rienzi ◽  
Robert A Britton
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Intestinal Tract ◽  
Western Diet ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Diet Cost ◽  
Microbe Interactions ◽  
Novel Approaches ◽  
Host Microbe Interactions ◽  
Genetic Profiles ◽  
Dietary Sugars

ABSTRACT The consumption of sugar has become central to the Western diet. Cost and health concerns associated with sucrose spurred the development and consumption of other sugars and sweeteners, with the average American consuming 10 times more sugar than 100 y ago. In this review, we discuss how gut microbes are affected by changes in the consumption of sugars and other sweeteners through transcriptional, abundance, and genetic adaptations. We propose that these adaptations result in microbes taking on different metabolic, ecological, and genetic profiles along the intestinal tract. We suggest novel approaches to assess the consequences of these changes on host–microbe interactions to determine the safety of novel sugars and sweeteners.

scholarly journals Antivirulence Activity of the Human Gut Metabolome

mBio ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Caetano M. Antunes ◽  
Julie A. K. McDonald ◽  
Kathleen Schroeter ◽  
Christian Carlucci ◽  
Rosana B. R. Ferreira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Molecules ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Human Gut ◽  
Complex Ecosystem ◽  
Microbe Interactions ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Host Microbe Interactions

ABSTRACTThe mammalian gut contains a complex assembly of commensal microbes termed microbiota. Although much has been learned about the role of these microbes in health, the mechanisms underlying these functions are ill defined. We have recently shown that the mammalian gut contains thousands of small molecules, most of which are currently unidentified. Therefore, we hypothesized that these molecules function as chemical cues used by hosts and microbes during their interactions in health and disease. Thus, a search was initiated to identify molecules produced by the microbiota that are sensed by pathogens. We found that a secreted molecule produced by clostridia acts as a strong repressor ofSalmonellavirulence, obliterating expression of theSalmonellapathogenicity island 1 as well as host cell invasion. It has been known for decades that the microbiota protects its hosts from invading pathogens, and these data suggest that chemical sensing may be involved in this phenomenon. Further investigations should reveal the exact biological role of this molecule as well as its therapeutic potential.IMPORTANCEMicrobes can communicate through the production and sensing of small molecules. Within the complex ecosystem formed by commensal microbes living in and on the human body, it is likely that these molecular messages are used extensively during the interactions between different microbial species as well as with host cells. Deciphering such a molecular dialect will be fundamental to our understanding of host-microbe interactions in health and disease and may prove useful for the design of new therapeutic strategies that target these mechanisms of communication.

scholarly journals Gut Microbiota and Iron: The Crucial Actors in Health and Disease

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bahtiyar Yilmaz ◽  
Hai Li
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Inflammatory Diseases ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Iron Availability ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Human Gastrointestinal Tract ◽  
Dynamic Modulation ◽  
Microbe Interactions ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Host Microbe Interactions

Iron (Fe) is a highly ample metal on planet earth (~35% of the Earth’s mass) and is particularly essential for most life forms, including from bacteria to mammals. Nonetheless, iron deficiency is highly prevalent in developing countries, and oral administration of this metal is so far the most effective treatment for human beings. Notably, the excessive amount of unabsorbed iron leave unappreciated side effects at the highly interactive host–microbe interface of the human gastrointestinal tract. Recent advances in elucidating the molecular basis of interactions between iron and gut microbiota shed new light(s) on the health and pathogenesis of intestinal inflammatory diseases. We here aim to present the dynamic modulation of intestinal microbiota by iron availability, and conversely, the influence on dietary iron absorption in the gut. The central part of this review is intended to summarize our current understanding about the effects of luminal iron on host–microbe interactions in the context of human health and disease.

scholarly journals Exercise and the Microbiome: Mechanistic Perspectives of the Impact of Exercise on the Gut-Vascular Axis

mSystems ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc D. Cook ◽  
Taylor Hogue
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Metabolic Profiling ◽  
Vascular Health ◽  
Microbe Interactions ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Host Microbe Interactions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Disease Understanding

Given the participation of the microbiome in human health and disease, understanding the context of host-microbe interactions involved in vascular pathophysiology is now evolving through identifying microbial communities, specific taxa, and metabolic profiling which can be coupled to human health outcomes. Exercise has been used to define mechanisms related to improved vascular health, which may involve the microbiome.

scholarly journals Making the invisible visible: exploring host–microbiome interactions across different taxa using data-driven 3D visualization

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne H. Landis ◽  
Tom Duscher ◽  
Thomas C.G. Bosch
Keyword(s):  
3D Visualization ◽  
Interactive Media ◽  
Visual Communication Design ◽  
Microbiome Research ◽  
Scientific Poster ◽  
Microbe Interactions ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Host Microbe Interactions ◽  
Using Data ◽  
User Friendly

The importance of microbiome research is rapidly gaining momentum for understanding its role in development, evolution, ecology, health and disease. Recent progress in community and single-cell genomic approaches has provided an unprecedented amount of information on the abundance and ecology of microbes in different host organisms and turned them into metaorganisms. A metaorganism is a host and its complete microbial community which is commonly referred to as the microbiome. Over half the cells in a human body are not human but belong to the multitude of species that compose our microbiome. However, linkages between metaorganisms from different taxa and their in situ level of intraspecific dependence (be it growth, division or metabolic activity) are much more scarce. Visualization therefore is crucial for understanding host–microbe interactions as well as overarching concepts in different host organisms. Here we introduce an innovative user-friendly method for interactive visualization of microbiome multi-omics data. The new communication format combines science and visual communication design. Interactive media are used to transform scientific findings on host–microbe interactions in an intuitive way. The method provides access to additional layers of information that cannot be visualized using a traditional platform. We demonstrate the usefulness of this visualization approach using the interactive scientific poster ‘Digital Meta’, which is designed to support not only interdisciplinary co-working but also communication with the general public.

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