Project description:Here we have shown that diet-mediated alterations of the gut microbiota composition cause an erosion of the colonic mucus barrier. A compensatory increase in cellular mucus production by the host is not sufficient to re-establish the barrier, possibly due to a lacking increase in mucus secretion. While microbial transplant from mice fed a fiber-rich diet can prevent the mucus defects, the mechanism seems to be independent of general fiber fermentation and rather depend on distinct bacterial species and/or their metabolites.
2017-12-22 | PXD006129 | Pride
Project description:The Colonic fermentation and bacterial community in weaned lambs
| PRJNA860284 | ENA
Project description:Single Batch Fermentation System Simulating Human Colonic Microbiota_Ulcerative colitis
Project description:Degradation of complex dietary fibers by gut microbes is essential for colonic fermentation, short-chain fatty acid production, and microbiome function. Ruminococcus bromii is the primary resistant starch (RS) degrader in humans, which relies on the amylosome, a specialized cell-bound enzymatic complex. To unravel its structure-function relationship and the interplay among its components, we applied an holistic multilayered approach and found that amylosome combinatorics, resistant starch degradation and enzymatic synergy are regulated at two levels: structural constraints enforcing enzyme proximity and expression-driven shifts in enzyme proportions. Cryo-electron tomography revealed that the amylosome comprises a constitutive extracellular layer extending toward the RS. However, proteomics demonstrated its remodeling across different growth conditions, with Amy4 and Amy16 comprising 60% of the amylosome in response to RS. Structural and biochemical analyses revealed complementarity and synergistic RS degradation by these enzymes, which allow R. bromii to fine-tune its adaptation to dietary fiber and shape colonic metabolism
Project description:<p>This study compared three cotton-stalk processing strategies—grinding (FS), steam explosion (PH), and microbial fermentation (FJ)—and evaluated whether the barrier-preserving phenotype observed with fermented cotton stalks is associated with coordinated changes in the microbiota–metabolite milieu and NF-?B/MLCK-related mucosal signaling in Hu sheep. Fifteen clinically healthy Hu sheep (26.7 ± 1.76 kg body weight; 115 ± 4 d of age) were used after a 14-d adaptation period and randomly assigned to one of three diets (n = 5 per treatment) containing 40% processed cotton stalks (FS, PH, or FJ) for 8 weeks. The results showed that PH and FJ increased final body weight compared with FS, and average daily gain increased progressively from FS to PH to FJ (206.07, 282.50, and 322.14 g/d, respectively; p < 0.05). Colonic fermentation profiles were markedly improved by FJ, evidenced by lower pH, ammonia nitrogen, free gossypol, and acetate (p < 0.05), alongside higher total VFAs with elevated propionate and butyrate (p < 0.05), whereas LPS was not different among treatments (p > 0.05). Histology and scanning electron microscopy indicated that FJ maintained intact crypt architecture and epithelial surface continuity, while FS exhibited epithelial detachment and surface erosion. Metagenomic analysis revealed distinct community structures among groups, with FJ showing higher richness and enrichment of taxa associated with carbohydrate utilization and butyrate-producing guilds (e.g., Lachnospiraceae-related genera such as Anaerostipes, Blautia, and Coprococcus). Consistently, FJ suppressed colonic mucosal inflammation, as reflected by reduced IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-a at both mRNA and protein levels (p < 0.05). Mechanistically, FJ attenuated NF-?B activation and downstream MLCK signaling, shown by decreased p-p65/p65, p-I?B/I?B, MLCK abundance, and p-MLC/MLC ratio (p < 0.05), while upregulating tight-junction proteins (ZO-1, occludin, claudin-1, and claudin-4; p < 0.05). In conclusion, fermentation-based processing of cotton stalks enhanced growth performance and was accompanied by a favorable hindgut fermentation and microbial–metabolic milieu, together with reinforced colonic barrier integrity and reduced NF-?B/MLCK-associated inflammatory signaling, supporting fermented cotton stalk as a practical strategy to valorize cotton residues for ruminant feeding while mitigating gossypol-related hindgut stress.</p>