Search results for "microbiome"
showing 5 items of 395 documents
Understanding the microbial biogeography of ancient human dentitions to guide study design and interpretation
2021
AbstractThe oral cavity is a heterogeneous environment, varying in factors such as pH, oxygen levels, and salivary flow. These factors affect the microbial community composition and distribution of species in dental plaque, but it is not known how well these patterns are reflected in archaeological dental calculus. In most archaeological studies, a single sample of dental calculus is studied per individual and is assumed to represent the entire oral cavity. However, it is not known if this sampling strategy introduces biases into studies of the ancient oral microbiome. Here, we present the results of a shotgun metagenomic study of a dense sampling of dental calculus from four Chalcolithic i…
Toll Like Receptors as Sensors of the Tumor Microbial Dysbiosis: Implications in Cancer Progression
2021
Microbiota is a complex ecosystem of active microorganisms resident in the body of mammals. Although the majority of these microorganisms resides at the distal gastrointestinal tract, high-throughput DNA sequencing technology have made possible to understand that several other tissues of the human body host their own microbiota, even those once considered sterile, such as lung tissue. These bacterial communities have important functions in maintaining a healthy body state and the host immune system has evolved multiple mechanisms by which maintaining a symbiotic relationship with the microbiota. The maintenance of this dialogue allows the induction of protective responses to pathogens and r…
In-depth characterization of denitrifier communities across different soil ecosystems in the tundra
2022
Abstract Background In contrast to earlier assumptions, there is now mounting evidence for the role of tundra soils as important sources of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O). However, the microorganisms involved in the cycling of N2O in this system remain largely uncharacterized. Since tundra soils are variable sources and sinks of N2O, we aimed at investigating differences in community structure across different soil ecosystems in the tundra. Results We analysed 1.4 Tb of metagenomic data from soils in northern Finland covering a range of ecosystems from dry upland soils to water-logged fens and obtained 796 manually binned and curated metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs). We then sear…
The interplay between the host microbiome and pathogenic viral infections
2021
The microorganisms associated with an organism, the microbiome, have a strong and wide impact in their host biology. In particular, the microbiome modulates both the host defense responses and immunity, thus influencing the fate of infections by pathogens. Indeed, this immune modulation and/or interaction with pathogenic viruses can be essential to define the outcome of viral infections. Understanding the interplay between the microbiome and pathogenic viruses opens future venues to fight viral infections and enhance the efficacy of antiviral therapies. An increasing number of researchers are focusing on microbiome-virus interactions, studying diverse combinations of microbial communities, …
Low-level environmental metal pollution is associated with altered gut microbiota of a wild rodent, the bank vole (Myodes glareolus)
2021
Mining and related industries are a major source of metal pollution. In contrast to the well-studied effects of ex-posure to metals on animal physiology and health, the impacts of environmental metal pollution on the gut mi-crobiota of wild animals are virtually unknown. As the gut microbiota is a key component of host health, it is important to understand whether metal pollution can alter wild animal gut microbiota composition. Using a combination of 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and quantification of metal levels in kidneys, we assessed whether multi-metal exposure (the sum of normalized levels of fifteen metals) was associated with changes in gut microbiota of wild bank voles (Myodes glar…