Host-Microbe Biology
Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologyA Significant Expansion of Our Understanding of the Composition of the Human MicrobiomeShotgun sequencing of samples taken from the human microbiome often reveals only partial mapping of the sequenced metagenomic reads to existing reference genomes. Such partial mappability indicates that many genomes are missing in our reference genome set.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyAlterations in Gut Glutamate Metabolism Associated with Changes in Gut Microbiota Composition in Children with Autism Spectrum DisorderMultiple lines of evidence suggest that the gut microbiota may play an important role in the pathogenesis of ASD, but the specific mechanism is still unclear. Through a comprehensive gut metagenomic and metabolome study of children with ASD, alterations in gut metabolite composition were found in children with ASD, and these alterations were linked to changes in gut microbiota composition. This may give us a deeper understanding of the...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyMarine Sponges as Chloroflexi Hot Spots: Genomic Insights and High-Resolution Visualization of an Abundant and Diverse Symbiotic CladeChloroflexi represent a widespread, yet enigmatic bacterial phylum with few cultivated members. We used metagenomic and single-cell genomic approaches to characterize the functional gene repertoire of Chloroflexi symbionts in marine sponges. The results of this study suggest clade-specific metabolic specialization and that Chloroflexi symbionts have the genomic potential for dissolved organic matter (DOM)...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyFucosylated Human Milk Oligosaccharides and N-Glycans in the Milk of Chinese Mothers Regulate the Gut Microbiome of Their Breast-Fed Infants during Different Lactation StagesHuman milk glycans provide a broad range of carbon sources for gut microbes in infants. Levels of protein glycosylation in human milk vary during lactation and may also be affected by the stages of gestation and lactation and by the secretor status of the mother. This was the first study to evaluate systematically dynamic changes in human milk oligosaccharides and fucosylated N-glycans in the milk of Chinese mothers with different...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologySpecies Designations Belie Phenotypic and Genotypic Heterogeneity in Oral StreptococciRepresentative type strains are commonly used to characterize bacterial species, yet species are phenotypically and genotypically heterogeneous. Conclusions about strain physiology and activity based on a single strain therefore may be inappropriate and misleading. When selecting strains for probiotic use, the assumption that all strains within a species share the same desired probiotic characteristics may result in selection of a...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyFiner-Scale Phylosymbiosis: Insights from Insect ViromesViruses are the most abundant biological entity on the planet and interact with microbial communities with which they associate. The virome of animals is often dominated by bacterial viruses, known as bacteriophages or phages, which can (re)structure bacterial communities potentially vital to the animal host. Beta diversity relationships of animal-associated bacterial communities in laboratory and wild populations frequently parallel...
Resource Report | Host-Microbe BiologyNew Insights into Human Nostril Microbiome from the Expanded Human Oral Microbiome Database (eHOMD): a Resource for the Microbiome of the Human Aerodigestive TractThe eHOMD (http://www.ehomd.org) is a valuable resource for researchers, from basic to clinical, who study the microbiomes and the individual microbes in body sites in the human aerodigestive tract, which includes the nasal passages, sinuses, throat, esophagus, and mouth, and the lower respiratory tract, in health and disease. The eHOMD is an actively curated, web-based, open-access resource. eHOMD...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyQualitative and Quantitative DNA- and RNA-Based Analysis of the Bacterial Stomach Microbiota in Humans, Mice, and GerbilsClinical stomach interventions, such as acid inhibition or bypass surgery, have been linked to fecal microbiota alterations. We demonstrate that the stomach microbiota largely overlaps those of adjacent gastrointestinal locations and identify gradual decreases and increases in the relative abundances of specific bacteria within the stomach, suggesting selective enrichment and depletion. Moreover, similarities between stomach and...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyMultiple Sclerosis-Associated Changes in the Composition and Immune Functions of Spore-Forming BacteriaTo address the impact of microbiome on disease development, it is essential to go beyond a descriptive study and evaluate the physiological importance of microbiome changes. Our study integrates computational analysis with in vitro and in vivo exploration of inflammatory properties of spore-forming microbial communities, revealing novel functional correlations. We specifically show that while small differences exist...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyInfluence of Feeding Type and Nosema ceranae Infection on the Gut Microbiota of Apis cerana WorkersThe gut microbiota plays an essential role in the health of bees. Scientific evidence suggests that diet and infection can affect the gut microbiota and modulate the health of the gut; however, the interplay between those two factors and the bee gut microbiota is not well known. In this study, we used a high-throughput sequencing method to monitor the changes of gut microbiota associated with both feeding types and...