Project description:To explore the bacterial community profile of the gut of the African palm weevil and to identify the abundance and diversity of lignin degradation-associated bacteria in each gut segment.
Project description:The proliferation of coral reef organisms, such as the key ecological engineers and carbonate producers’ large benthic foraminifera (LBF), greatly relies on the mutual association with photosymbiotic algae. With respect to global change impacts such as ocean warming, evaluating stress and acclimatization responses is highly important, but probing proteins and partitioning host and symbionts are major obstacles for studying LBF. We therefore applied a label-free quantitative proteomics approach to LBF holobionts in order to detect changes in the relative abundances of proteins in response to different thermal-stress scenarios. Subsequent identification allowed for the partial assignment of 1,618 proteins to either foraminiferal host or endosymbiotic diatoms. While single and episodic thermal-stress events only induced minor metabolic impacts, chronic thermal stress diminished photosynthesis-related proteins among the symbionts. Stress response and proteolysis-related proteins increased in abundance, illustrating the extent of damage. In contrast to the symbionts, host homeostasis was maintained through extensive repair mechanisms and high protein turnover. Metabolic pathways were adjusted to the symbiont loss by using alternative energy resources. However, linking proteome to physiological data revealed that resource redistribution impairs growth and certainly other functions that could disturb carbonate production. We show how compartment partitioning can give insights into interactions and stress response mechanisms in photosymbiotic reef-calcifiers.
2018-02-27 | PXD008015 | Pride
Project description:Taxonomic survey of selected benthic foraminiferal species from the eastern Clarion-Clipperton zone
Project description:Opioids such as morphine have many beneficial properties as analgesics, however, opioids may induce multiple adverse gastrointestinal symptoms. We have recently demonstrated that morphine treatment results in significant disruption in gut barrier function leading to increased translocation of gut commensal bacteria. However, it is unclear how opioids modulate the gut homeostasis. By using a mouse model of morphine treatment, we studied effects of morphine treatment on gut microbiome. We characterized phylogenetic profiles of gut microbes, and found a significant shift in the gut microbiome and increase of pathogenic bacteria following morphine treatment when compared to placebo. In the present study, wild type mice (C57BL/6J) were implanted with placebo, morphine pellets subcutaneously. Fecal matter were taken for bacterial 16s rDNA sequencing analysis at day 3 post treatment. A scatter plot based on an unweighted UniFrac distance matrics obtained from the sequences at OTU level with 97% similarity showed a distinct clustering of the community composition between the morphine and placebo treated groups. By using the chao1 index to evaluate alpha diversity (that is diversity within a group) and using unweighted UniFrac distance to evaluate beta diversity (that is diversity between groups, comparing microbial community based on compositional structures), we found that morphine treatment results in a significant decrease in alpha diversity and shift in fecal microbiome at day 3 post treatment compared to placebo treatment. Taxonomical analysis showed that morphine treatment results in a significant increase of potential pathogenic bacteria. Our study shed light on effects of morphine on the gut microbiome, and its role in the gut homeostasis.
Project description:<p>Benthic organisms sustain coral reefs through their growth and metabolism, but less is known about how their released metabolites influence reef seawater microorganisms. To investigate metabolite composition of benthic exudates and their ecological significance for reef microbial communities, we harvested exudates from six species of Caribbean benthic organisms including stony corals, octocorals, and an invasive encrusting algae, and subjected these exudates to untargeted and targeted metabolomics approaches using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Incubations with reef seawater microorganisms were conducted to monitor changes in microbial community composition using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and abundance in relation to exudate source and three specific metabolites. Exudates tended to be enriched in amino acids, nucleosides, and vitamins, indicating that benthic organisms contribute labile organic matter to reefs. The phytohormone indole-3-acetic acid was detected in octocoral exudates, suggesting that this metabolite facilitates microbial interactions within and outside of benthic organisms. Exudate compositions were species-specific and significantly enriched in the indole class of metabolites. Microbial abundances and specific microbial taxa responded differently in relation to exudates from stony corals and octocorals, demonstrating the link between benthic organismal composition, metabolite exudates, and microbial growth. Conversely, microbial communities did not respond to additions of the individual metabolites, suggesting that reef microorganisms likely provide diverse metabolite pools that support microbial growth. This work identifies, quantifies, and compares metabolites released from common Caribbean benthic organisms and indicates that recent shifts in benthic composition from stony to octocorals alter exudate composition and likely impact microbial community composition and function on coral reefs.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>UPLC-MS Metabolite uptake incubation assay</strong> is reported in the current study <strong>MTBLS3286</strong></p><p><strong>UPLC-MS Metabolite collection incubation assays</strong> are reported in <a href='https://www.ebi.ac.uk/metabolights/editor/study/MTBLS2855' rel='noopener noreferrer' target='_blank'><strong>MTBLS2855</strong></a></p>
Project description:<p>Benthic organisms sustain coral reefs through their growth and metabolism, but less is known about how their released metabolites influence reef seawater microorganisms. To investigate metabolite composition of benthic exudates and their ecological significance for reef microbial communities, we harvested exudates from six species of Caribbean benthic organisms including stony corals, octocorals, and an invasive encrusting algae, and subjected these exudates to untargeted and targeted metabolomics approaches using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Incubations with reef seawater microorganisms were conducted to monitor changes in microbial community composition using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and abundance in relation to exudate source and three specific metabolites. Exudates tended to be enriched in amino acids, nucleosides, and vitamins, indicating that benthic organisms contribute labile organic matter to reefs. The phytohormone indole-3-acetic acid was detected in octocoral exudates, suggesting that this metabolite facilitates microbial interactions within and outside of benthic organisms. Exudate compositions were species-specific and significantly enriched in the indole class of metabolites. Microbial abundances and specific microbial taxa responded differently in relation to exudates from stony corals and octocorals, demonstrating the link between benthic organismal composition, metabolite exudates, and microbial growth. Conversely, microbial communities did not respond to additions of the individual metabolites, suggesting that reef microorganisms likely provide diverse metabolite pools that support microbial growth. This work provides novel information about the metabolites released from common Caribbean benthic organisms and indicates that the recent shifts in benthic composition from stony to octocorals alter exudate composition and likely impact microbial community composition and function on coral reefs.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>UPLC-MS Metabolite collection incubation assays</strong> are reported in the current study <strong>MTBLS2855</strong></p><p><strong>UPLC-MS Metabolite uptake incubation assay</strong> is reported in <a href='https://www.ebi.ac.uk/metabolights/editor/study/MTBLS3286' rel='noopener noreferrer' target='_blank'><strong>MTBLS3286</strong></a></p>
Project description:Xiangjiang River (Hunan, China) has been contaminated with heavy metal for several decades by surrounding factories. However, little is known about the influence of a gradient of heavy metal contamination on the diversity, structure of microbial functional gene in sediment. To deeply understand the impact of heavy metal contamination on microbial community, a comprehensive functional gene array (GeoChip 5.0) has been used to study the functional genes structure, composition, diversity and metabolic potential of microbial community from three heavy metal polluted sites of Xiangjiang River. Three groups of samples, A, B and C. Every group has 3 replicates.