microbiome
Enzymology and Protein Engineering | SpotlightAdaptation of Syntenic Xyloglucan Utilization Loci of Human Gut Bacteroidetes to Polysaccharide Side Chain DiversityThe catabolism of complex carbohydrates that otherwise escape the endogenous digestive enzymes of humans and other animals drives the composition and function of the gut microbiota. Thus, detailed molecular characterization of dietary glycan utilization systems is essential both to understand the ecology of these complex communities and to manipulate their compositions, e.g., to benefit human health. Our research reveals new insight...
Microbial EcologyChanges in the Ileal, but Not Fecal, Microbiome in Response to Increased Dietary Protein Level and Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Exposure in PigsGut bacterial communities have been shown to play a key role in pig health and development and are strongly influenced by host diet, but studies highlighting the complex interactions between nutrition, gut infections and the microbiome tend to focus on bacterial populations in the feces and not other important gut locations. We found that alteration of dietary protein level and exposure to a pathogenic microorganism, enterotoxigenic...
Environmental MicrobiologyContamination Is Not Linked to the Gestational MicrobiomeRecent evidence for a gestational microbiome suggests that active transfer between mother and fetus in utero is possible, and, therefore, actions must be taken to clarify the presence versus absence of these organisms in their respected sources. The value of this study is the differentiation between bacterial DNA identified in the necropsy rooms of animals and bacterial DNA whose origin is purely clinical in nature. We do not...
Microbial EcologyResponse of Beef Cattle Fecal Microbiota to Grazing on Toxic Tall FescueConsumption of E+ tall fescue has an estimated annual $1 billion negative impact on the U.S. beef industry, with one driver of these costs being lowered weight gains. As global agricultural demand continues to grow, mitigating production losses resulting from grazing the predominant southeastern United States forage grass is of great value. Our investigation of the effects of E+ grazing on the fecal microbiota furthers our understanding...
Food MicrobiologyEstablishment Limitation Constrains the Abundance of Lactic Acid Bacteria in the Napa Cabbage PhyllosphereThe quality and safety of vegetable fermentations are dependent on the activities of LAB naturally present in the phyllosphere. Despite their critical role in determining the success of fermentation, the processes that determine the abundance and diversity of LAB in vegetables used for fermentation are poorly characterized. Our work demonstrates that the limited ability of LAB to grow in the cabbage phyllosphere environment may...
Meeting ReviewReports from a Healthy Community: the 7th Conference on Beneficial MicrobesThe last two decades have seen an explosion in research about the beneficial microbial communities associated with plants and animals. Initially, this explosion was driven by technological advances that enabled explorations of microbiomes on unprecedented scales.
Microbial EcologyHigh Genetic Potential for Proteolytic Decomposition in Northern Peatland EcosystemsNitrogen (N) is a common limitation on primary productivity, and its source remains unresolved in northern peatlands that are vulnerable to environmental change. Decomposition of complex organic matter into free amino acids has been proposed as an important N source, but the genetic potential of microorganisms mediating this process has not been examined. Such information can inform possible responses of northern peatlands to...
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....