Project description:Emerging data has highlighted the importance of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) on ruminal microbiome and derived metabolism profiling, and ruminal epithelial health and nutritional absorption in ruminants. However, little is known about the roles of SCFAs on ileal microbiome profiles. Here, we combined infusion of three SCFAs, to study their different roles in ileal microbiome succession profiling using a in vivo goat model.
Project description:Emerging data has highlighted the importance of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) on ruminal microbiome and derived metabolism profiling, and ruminal epithelial health and nutritional absorption in ruminants. However, little is known about the roles of SCFAs on hindgut profiles. Here, we firstly combined infusion of three SCFAs, to study their different roles in hindgut microbiome succession and derived metabolism profiling, as well as colonic epithelial transcriptome sequencing patterns using a in vivo goat model. .
Project description:This project investigates the serum proteomic signatures of the serological response to flu vaccination. We profiled the serum proteome of 160 flu vaccine recipients from a cohort study conducted in 2019-2020 season, with DIA-MS based proteomics. We compared the protein level between low and high responders based on the response measure seroconversion, as well as the adjusted seroconversion which excludes the confoudning effects of all the semographic factors recorded for these participants. We did the analysis for the composite seroconversion as well as for the individual strains. We also investigated the complex impact of age.
Project description:The gut microbiome is intricately coupled with immune regulation and metabolism, but its role in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is not fully understood. Severe and fatal COVID-19 is characterized by poor anti-viral immunity and hypercoagulation, particularly in males. Via 16S sequencing of antibiotic-treated mice, we found that Clostridia species protect mammalian hosts from SARS-CoV-2 intranasal infection, both locally and systemically, via production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). SCFAs reduced viral burdens in the airways and intestines by downregulating the SARS-CoV-2 entry receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), and enhancing adaptive immunity in male animals. In order to identify other mechanisms by which SCFAs influence the outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection, we performed RNA-seq on lungs from male GF mice given control or SCFA water for two weeks. We identified a novel role for the gut microbiome in regulating systemic coagulation response by limiting megakaryocyte proliferation and platelet turnover via the Sh2b3-Mpl axis. Taken together, our findings have unraveled novel functions of SCFAs and fiber-fermenting gut bacteria that might be leveraged as pan-coronavirus therapeutics to dampen viral entry and hypercoagulation and promote adaptive anti-viral immunity.
Project description:Age-dependent changes of the gut-associated microbiome have been linked to increased frailty and systemic inflammation. This study found that age-associated changes of the gut microbiome of BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice could be reverted by co-housing of aged (22 months old) and adult (3 months old) mice for 30-40 days or faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from adult into aged mice. This was demonstrated using high-throughput sequencing of the V3-V4 hypervariable region of bacterial 16S rRNA gene isolated from faecal pellets collected from 3-4 months old adult and 22-23 months old aged mice before and after co-housing or FMT.
Project description:Emerging data has highlighted the importance of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), particularly butyrate, in regulating ruminal homeostasis in vivo isolated epithelial cells. However, little is known about other SCFAs like acetate or propionate, and the interaction between rumen microbes and epithelial immunity are rarely reported. Here, we firstly combined infusion of three SCFAs, to study their different roles in ruminal development, antioxidant capacity, barrier functions, and immunity, as well as cross-talk with ruminal microbiome (16S rRNA sequencing data of rumen digesta) and derived transcriptome (RNA-Seq) and metabolism using an in vivo goat model.
Project description:We randomly selected 60 patients who completed paclitaxel treatment for high-throughput sequencing. Grade 2 or higher (grade 2+) neuropathy has been defined as high-PIPN and Grade 1 as low-PIPN according to the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI-CTCAE version 4.0) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer CIPN specific self-report questionnaire (EORTC QOL-CIPN20). We compared gut microbiome signatures in high-PIPN, low-PIPN, and healthy controls.
Project description:Platelet factors regulate wound healing and also signal from the blood to the brain. However, whether platelet factors modulate cognition, a highly valued and central manifestation of brain function, is unknown. Here, we show that systemic platelet factor 4 (PF4) modulates cognition and its molecular signature. Klotho, a longevity and cognition-enhancing protein, acutely activated platelets and increased circulating platelet factors, most robustly platelet factor 4 (PF4). To directly test PF4 effects on the brain, we treated mice with vehicle or systemic PF4. In young mice, PF4 enhanced synaptic plasticity and cognition. In aging mice, PF4 restored cognitive deficits and rejuvenated a molecular signature of cognition in the aging hippocampus. Augmenting platelet factors such as PF4, a possible messenger of klotho, may enhance cognition in the young brain and rejuvenate cognitive deficits in the aging brain.
Project description:To determine gene expression changes that contribute to the development of COPD among smokers using high-throughput RNA sequencing in the peripheral blood of COPD patients. Total RNA sequencing was investigated by prospectively collecting lung function test results and whole blood samples from smokers who visited the outpatient department of respiratory medicine at three hospitals since 2020. This study confirmed gene expression differences in non-coding RNA in COPD patients according to the degree of airflow limitation through RNA-Seq transcriptome analysis. These results may provide valuable predictive resources for future COPD research.