microbiome
Microbial Ecology | SpotlightFarm Stage, Bird Age, and Body Site Dominantly Affect the Quantity, Taxonomic Composition, and Dynamics of Respiratory and Gut Microbiota of Commercial Layer ChickensThe poultry industry is faced with numerous challenges associated with infectious diseases and suboptimal performance of flocks. As microbiome research continues to grow, it is becoming clear that poultry health and production performance are partly influenced by nonpathogenic symbionts that occupy different habitats within the bird. This study has defined the baseline composition and overlaps between respiratory and gut bacteria in...
Microbial Ecology | SpotlightDetection of Natural Products and Their Producers in Ocean SedimentsNatural products are readily isolated from cultured bacteria and exploited for useful purposes, including drug discovery. However, these compounds are rarely detected in the environments from which the bacteria are obtained, thus limiting our understanding of their ecological significance. Here, we used environmental metabolomics to directly assess chemical diversity in marine sediments. We identified numerous metabolites and, in one...
Environmental Microbiology | SpotlightBiogeochemical Regimes in Shallow Aquifers Reflect the Metabolic Coupling of the Elements Nitrogen, Sulfur, and CarbonGroundwater is a key resource for drinking water production and irrigation. The interplay between geological setting, hydrochemistry, carbon storage, and groundwater microbiome ecosystem functioning is crucial for our understanding of these important ecosystem services. We targeted the encoded and expressed metabolic potential of groundwater microbiomes along an aquifer transect that diversifies in terms of hydrochemistry and land use....
Microbial EcologyRootstocks Shape the Rhizobiome: Rhizosphere and Endosphere Bacterial Communities in the Grafted Tomato SystemUnderstanding factors that control microbial communities is essential for designing and supporting microbiome-based agriculture. In this study, we used a grafted tomato system to study the effect of rootstock genotypes and grafting on bacterial communities colonizing the endosphere and rhizosphere. To compare the bacterial communities in control treatments (nongrafted and self-grafted plants) with the hybrid rootstocks used by farmers,...
Plant MicrobiologyHigh Levels of CO2 Induce Spoilage by Leuconostoc mesenteroides by Upregulating Dextran Synthesis GenesThe bacterium Leuconostoc mesenteroides is known to cause spoilage of different types of foods by secreting a slimy fluid that damages the quality and appearance of the produce. Here, we identified a potential mechanism by which high levels of CO2 affect the spoilage caused by this bacterium by upregulating dextran synthesis genes. These results have...
Food MicrobiologyA Vegetable Fermentation Facility Hosts Distinct Microbiomes Reflecting the Production EnvironmentFermented vegetables play a major role in global food systems and are widely consumed by various global cultures. In this study, we investigated an industrial facility that produces spontaneous fermented sauerkraut without the aid of starter cultures. This provides a unique system to explore and track the origins of an “in-house” microbiome in an industrial environment. Raw vegetables and the surfaces on which they are handled were...
- Environmental MicrobiologyPersistent Bacterial and Fungal Community Shifts Exhibited in Selenium-Contaminated Reclaimed Mine Soils
Selenium contamination in natural environments is of great concern globally, and microbial processes are known to mediate Se transformations. Such transformations alter Se mobility, bioavailability, and toxicity, which can amplify or mitigate Se pollution. To date, nearly all studies investigating Se-microbe interactions have used culture-based approaches with anaerobic bacteria despite growing knowledge that (i) aerobic Se...
- Microbial EcologyInterpopulation Variation in the Atlantic Salmon Microbiome Reflects Environmental and Genetic Diversity
Variation in the microbiome has a fundamental influence on host health, ecology, and evolution, but the scope and basis of this variation are not fully understood. We identified considerable variation in skin and gut microbial communities between seven wild and captive populations of Atlantic salmon, reflecting divergent environmental conditions and fish genetic diversity. In particular, we found very pronounced differences in the...
- Physiology | SpotlightEnrichment of Clinically Relevant Organisms in Spontaneous Preterm-Delivered Placentas and Reagent Contamination across All Clinical Groups in a Large Pregnancy Cohort in the United Kingdom
Preterm birth is associated with both psychological and physical disabilities and is the leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Infection is known to be an important cause of spontaneous preterm birth, and recent research has implicated variation in the “placental microbiome” in the risk of preterm birth. Consistent with data from previous studies, the abundances of certain clinically relevant species differed...