Life Sciences Commons^™

Relationship Between Gut Microbiota And Dementia, Saad Ahmed, Zackary Harris, Russell David Levi

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

This paper explores the complex relationship between gut microbiota, dietary habits, and dementia, focusing particularly on Alzheimer's disease (AD). Growing evidence suggests a significant link between the composition of gut bacteria, dietary choices, and susceptibility to dementia. Notably, individuals with dementia demonstrate a noticeable reduction in gut bacteria diversity, highlighting the crucial role of a balanced microbiome in maintaining cognitive health. Conversely, dietary preferences characterized by excessive consumption of processed foods and sugars are associated with an increased risk of dementia, emphasizing the critical influence of diet on shaping gut microbiota and subsequent neurocognitive outcomes. Importantly, dietary interventions featuring a …

Cultivating Excellence: A Literature Review On Harnessing The Power Of The Gut Microbiome For Athletic Performance, Maya Katharine Dean

Honors Projects

The interplay between our gut microbiome and health is immense. This literature review analyzes the current research assessing the interplay between gut microbiome and athletic performance. Knowing how to improve gut microbial diversity via nutrition and supplementation can take athletic performance to the next level; namely improvements in immune, mental, and physical health.

Comparison Of Milk Microbiota Between Healthy And Mastitic Cows, Sibel Kizil, Fatma Esin Aydin, Cansu Önlen Güneri̇, Ufuk Ülker, Gürol Emekdaş, İbrahim Basmaci, Serkan Erat, Rıza Durmaz, Efsun Melike Çeçen, Asya Kazan

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Mammary gland infections occur due to bacterial changes in the mammary tissue. Studies conducted in recent years have reported variations in the most common bacteria differ according to geographical locations. California mastitis test (CMT), somatic cell count (SCC), and aerobic colony count (ACC) analyses were performed on approximately 50 mL of hygienically collected raw milk samples. Raw milk was also subjected to conventional bacteriological isolation and identification. Bacterial diversity and rates in raw milk were compared through metagenome analysis. Two samples, one from healthy milk and another from subclinical milk with mastitis, were independently tested to determine whether there were …

Coexistence Of Specialist And Generalist Species Within Mixed Plastic Derivative-Utilizing Microbial Communities, Laura G. Schaerer, Lindsay I. Putman, Isaac Bigcraft, Emma Byrne, Daniel G. Kulas, Ali Zolghadr, Sulihat Aloba, Rebecca Ong, David Shonnard, Stephen Techtmann

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

BACKGROUND Plastic-degrading microbial isolates offer great potential to degrade, transform, and upcycle plastic waste. Tandem chemical and biological processing of plastic wastes has been shown to substantially increase the rates of plastic degradation however, the focus of this work has been almost entirely on microbial isolates (either bioengineered or naturally occurring). We propose that a microbial community has even greater potential for plastic upcycling. A microbial community has greater metabolic diversity to process mixed plastic waste streams and has built-in functional redundancy for optimal resilience. RESULTS Here, we used two plastic-derivative degrading communities as a model system to investigate the …

Diet-Microbiome-Immune Interplay In Multiple Sclerosis: Understanding The Impact Of Phytoestrogen Metabolizing Gut Bacteria, Peter C. Lehman, Sudeep Ghimire, Jeffrey D. Price, Amanda E. Ramer-Tait, Ashutosh K. Mangalam

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic and progressive autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS), with both genetic and environmental factors contributing to the pathobiology of the disease. Although HLA genes have emerged as the strongest genetic factor linked to MS, consensus on the environmental risk factors is lacking. Recently, the gut microbiota has garnered increasing attention as a potential environmental factor in MS, as mounting evidence suggests that individuals with MS exhibit microbial dysbiosis (changes in the gut microbiome). Thus, there has been a strong emphasis on understanding the role of the gut microbiome in the pathobiology of …

Fine-Scale Genetic Structure In Rhizosphere Microbial Communities Associated With Chamaecrista Fasciculata (Fabaceae), Mahboubeh Hosseinalizadeh Nobarinezhad, Lisa E. Wallace

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Soil microbiota of the rhizosphere are an important extension of the plant phenotype because they impact the health and fitness of host plants. The composition of these communities is expected to differ among host plants due to influence by host genotype. Given that many plant populations exhibit fine-scale genetic structure (SGS), associated microbial communities may also exhibit SGS. In this study, we tested this hypothesis using Chamaecrista fasciculata, a legume species that has previously been determined to have significant SGS. We collected genetic data from prokaryotic and fungal rhizosphere communities in association with 70 plants in an area of …

The Effect Of Gut Microbiota On Overwintering Success In Mule Deer, Emma Wilcox

Theses and Dissertations

Mule deer are an important rangeland grazer, large prey species, and game animal for the state of Utah, so herd size is monitored and managed actively. A significant cause of population decline is poor overwintering survival, including from the lack of available forage during winter months. Mule deer energy storage is correlated with greater overwintering success, so physical estimates of energy storage including body condition score (BCS), rump fat (RF), and loin thickness (LT), can be used to track and predict a herd's health. Current methods of collecting deer information are costly, time consuming, and cause physical stress to deer, …

Host Species And Captivity Distinguish The Microbiome Compositions Of A Diverse Zoo-Resident Non-Human Primate Population, Maya O. Wills, Robin R. Shields-Cutler, Emily Brunmeier, Madison Weissenborn, Tami Murphy, Dan Knights, Timothy J. Johnson, Jonathan B. Clayton

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Vast numbers of microorganisms inhabit the mammalian gastrointestinal tract in a complex community referred to as the gut microbiome. An individual’s microbiome may be impacted by genetics, diet, and various environmental factors, and has been associated with many health states and diseases, though specific explanations are lacking. While these communities are well-studied in human populations, non-human primates (NHPs), in particular zoo-resident or captive NHPs, offer distinct advantages to increasing our understanding of factors that influence gut microbiome composition. Here, we characterize the gut microbiome composition of a phylogenetically diverse cohort of NHPs residing in the same urban zoo. We show …

A Survey Of The Microbial Communities Of Commercial Presliced, Packaged Deli-Style Ham Throughout Storage, Rebecca A. Furbeck, Chad G. Bower, Samodha C. Fernando, Gary Sullivan

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The goal of this study was to evaluate the variation in spoilage microbiota associated with sliced, prepackaged deli-style ham from varying processing environments available in the retail market in the United States. Three different brands of presliced ham, water added were purchased at local markets and evaluated every 2 wk beginning 4 wk prior to the sell-by date until 4 wk beyond the sell-by date. Analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA genes using operational taxonomic units showed that Brand A had a different bacterial community structure compared with Brands B and C, according to unweighted (P = 0.006) and weighted …

Intestinal Microbiota Analysis Of Broiler Chickens Under Necrotic Enteritis Challenge And Tributyrin Supplementation, Taylor Nicole Mckinney

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Poultry is a staple protein source for most of the planet. Until recently, antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) were used to prevent illnesses in commercial chicken production. Currently, this is not possible due to regulations and consumer concern, but without such a preventative, diseases like necrotic enteritis (NE) have reemerged, posing a threat to bird health, and ultimately, our food source. Necrotic enteritis is a severe gastrointestinal disease caused by the gram-positive pathogen, Clostridium perfringens. Clinical features of this disease are diarrhea, intestinal lesions, and death, with a high transmission rate. In a subclinical form, growth performance is diminished and is …

The Role Of Microbiota On Campylobacter Jejuni Colonization And Growth Performance In Broiler Chickens, Ayidh Almansour

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The successful poultry production at modern era comes from the vertical integratedindustrialization, which has fundamentally changed how animals have been living for millions of years. Antimicrobial growth promoters have been used to sustain the efficient industrialized animal production, driving antimicrobial overuse and resistance. Because of the increasing pressure from consumer’s concerns and government regulations, it is urgent to develop antimicrobial free alternatives as growth promoters in poultry production, but few effective antimicrobial alternatives are currently available. Campylobacter jejuni is one of the worldwide prevalent foodborne bacterial pathogens mainly transmitted from poultry. However, few mechanisms are available on why C. jejuni …

Gut Commensals Modulate Siv/Shiv Pathogenesis And Therapeutics, Samuel Johnson

Theses & Dissertations

Despite significant advancements in combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), ongoing inflammation in the brain and gut remain two of the most significant hurdles in the health of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Additionally, a viral reservoir in each compartment inhibits cure efforts by allowing rapid viral rebound following cART interruption. Emerging understanding of the gut-brain axis (GBA) implicates each compartment in the modulation of the other in a complex bi-directional interaction mediated by vagus innervation, circulating lymphocytes, and microbiome composition and biproducts. Using multiple models of the simian (and simian-human) immunodeficiency virus (SIV/SHIV) and therapeutic intervention, I present how …

The Large And Small Of It: The Microbiome And Metagenomics, Austin Hopkins, Elaina Gollmar, Jessica Fernandez, Shawn Wolf, Austin Hilverding, Andrew M. Roecker

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Metagenomics, the analysis of the microbial genome, permits scientists to understand the influences of external sources including diet, metabolism and antibiotics on the human microbiome. Research has revealed the possibility of a core symbiosis between humans and bacteria. The main role of the human microbiome is to aid in digestion, but identified ancillary roles include immunologic homeostasis and infection prevention. Quantifying the composition and variability of the microbiome will help lead to future treatments or preventive strategies against unhealthy change. A variety of methods may be used to define the microbiome, and 16S amplicon sequencing is primarily utilized today. Probiotics …

The Next Generation Beneficial Actions Of Novel Probiotics As Potential Therapeutic Targets And Prediction Tool For Metabolic Diseases, Hsin-Lin Cheng, Gow-Chin Yen, Shih-Chien Huang, Shiuan-Chih Chen, Chin-Lin Hsu

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

The prevalence of metabolic disease has rising and affected over 1,000 million populations globally. Since the metabolic disease and its related complication are board, it has become the major health hazard of modern world. However, Long term medication of metabolic disease may cause serious side effects and risk for adverse health problems. Recently, emerging studies focus on exploring the mechanistic details of metabolic state in disease development and progression. Gut bacteria ecosystem was considered to play a pivotal role in regulating energy homeostasis and great associated with the development of metabolic disease. Accumulated evidences indicated that Akkermansia muciniphila, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, …

Determining Pairwise Interactions To Predict Species Interactions In A Complex Community Of Gut Bacteria., Makenzie Maroney

Honors Theses

The human gastrointestinal (GI) tract houses a diverse and expansive microbial community known as the microbiota. The relationship between the host and the microbiota is considered to be mutualistic, as trillions of bacteria that reside in the hospitable GI tract can assist in essential host functions, including contributing to metabolism and immunity against disease. An important subpopulation of the GI microbiota is the mucin-associated biofilm that is comprised of a dense layer of bacteria that forms on the GI mucin layer. The mucin layer provides an alternative niche to the GI lumen; the glycans of the mucin and the subsequent …

Effect Of Kefir Consumption On Intestinal Microbiota And Some Blood Parameters Inangora Cats, Ruhi̇ Kabakçi, Gi̇zem Çufaoğlu, Gökhan Şen

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Probiotics are one of the best alternatives to improve gut health. Kefir, which was discovered in the North Caucasus centuries ago, is still consumed frequently today due to its health benefits. Its impacts on the gastrointestinal system have begun to be investigated in animals. In this study, we focused to examine the effect of kefir on intestinal microbiota, some hematological parameters, and fecal quality in Angora cats to provide preliminary data regarding the hypothesis of its use as an alternative probiotic food supplement. Commercial kefir was given orally (30 mL/kg) to seven healthy Angora cats for 14 days. On day …

Skin Bacterial Metacommunities Of San Francisco Bay Area Salamanders Are Structured By Host Genus And Habitat Quality., Shannon Buttimer, Obed Hernandez-Gomez, Erica Bree Rosenblum

Natural Sciences and Mathematics | Faculty Scholarship

Host-associated microbial communities can influence physiological processes of macroorganisms, including contributing to infectious disease resistance. For instance, some bacteria that live on amphibian skin produce antifungal compounds that inhibit two lethal fungal pathogens, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal). Therefore, differences in microbiome composition among host species or populations within a species can contribute to variation in susceptibility to Bd/Bsal. This study applies 16S rRNA sequencing to characterize the skin bacterial microbiomes of three widespread terrestrial salamander genera native to the western United States. Using a metacommunity structure analysis, we identified dispersal barriers for these influential bacteria between salamander …

Effect Of Basal Diet And Black Raspberry Supplementation On Gene Biomarkers Of "Leaky Gut" In Mouse Model Of Colitis-Associated Colorectal Cancer, Eliza Stewart

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

Colorectal cancer is currently the third leading cause of cancer death in the world. The risk of developing colorectal cancer increases significantly in individuals who suffer from colitis, which is inflammation of the colon lining, seen in Irritable Bowel Disease. The term “leaky gut” is often used to describe increased intestinal permeability and is closely related to colitis. Leaky gut is associated with dysbiosis of the gut microbiota, which can occur through diet. This dysbiosis leads to pro-longed inflammation and affects genes that encode for proteins involved in the tight junctions between cells. Compromised intestinal integrity allows for translocation of …

Gut Microbiota Composition And Predicted Microbial Metabolic Pathways Of Obesity Prone And Obesity Resistant Outbred Sprague-Dawley Cd Rats May Account For Differences In Their Phenotype, Diana N. Obanda, Michael J. Keenan, Ryan Page, Anne M. Raggio, Christopher Taylor, Brian D. Marx, Rhett W. Stout, Justin Guice, Meng Luo, David A. Welsh, Diana Coulon, Claudia Husseneder

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Like humans, outbred Sprague-Dawley CD rats exhibit a polygenic pattern of inheritance of the obese phenotype and not all individuals exposed to a high calorie intake develop obesity. We hypothesized that differences in gut microbiota composition account for phenotype differences between obese prone (OP) and obese resistant (OR) rats. We studied the gut microbiota composition of OPand OR rats after a high fat (HF) diet and how they respond to fermentation of resistant starch (RS). In phase 1 of the study 28 OP and 28 OR rats were fed a HF diet. In order to determine causal role of microbiota …

Konjac Glucomannan Polysaccharide And Inulin Oligosaccharide Ameliorate Dextran Sodium Sulfate-Induced Colitis And Alterations In Fecal Microbiota And Short-Chain Fatty Acids In C57bl/6j Mice, Chih-Hsuan Changchien, Cheng-Hsin Wang, Hsiao-Ling Chen

BioMedicine

Background: Konjac glucomannan polysaccharide (KGM), inulin oligosaccharide (inulin) and their mixture has been shown to modulate the gut-associated lymphoid tissue immunity.

Aims: The present study was mainly to determine effects of a low-level (2% w/w) KGM and inulin and their combination on dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis. We also determine the potential mechanisms mediating these effects of dietary fibers.

Methods: C57BL/6J mice (6 weeks of age, eight per group) were randomly assigned to consume one of the following diets: control (DSS group) or control diet supplemented with 2% (w/w) of KGM (KGM group), 2% (w/w) of inulin oligosaccharide (degree of …

Microbial Innovations For Disease Management In Honey Bees, Brendan A. Daisley

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Arguably the most important insect pollinator, honey bees (Apis mellifera) are threatened by infectious disease, pesticide exposure, and nutritional deficits resulting from habitat loss.

The major goals of this thesis were to advance our understanding of the immune and microbiota factors underpinning synergistic interactions between the threats, and to develop a honey bee-specific probiotic with strain-level functions to alleviate cumulative stress burden.

Drosophila melanogaster was used as a high-throughput discovery platform in molecularly characterizing the effects of candidate probiotic lactobacilli and neonicotinoid-neuroimmune-microbiota mechanisms prior to experimentation in honey bees. Imd pathway activation by lactobacilli was identified to be …

Ursolic Acid Restores Sensitivity To Gemcitabine Through The Rage/Nf-Κb/Mdr1 Axis In Pancreatic Cancer Cells And In A Mouse Xenograft Model, Zih-Ying Lia, Sheng-Yi Chena, Gow-Chin Yen

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Gemcitabine (GEM) is a first-line drug for pancreatic cancer therapy, but GEM resistance is easily developed in patients. Growing evidence suggests that cancer chemoprevention and suppression are highly associated with dietary phytochemical and microbiota composition. Ursolic acid (UA) has anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects; however, its role in improving cancer drug resistance in vivo remains unclear. In this study, the aim was to explore the role of UA in managing drug resistance-associated molecular mechanisms and the influence of gut microbiota. The in vitro results showed that receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), nuclear factor kappa B p65 (NF-κB/p65), and multidrug …

Integrating Genomics And Metabolomics For Scalable Non-Ribosomal Peptide Discovery., Bahar Behsaz, Edna Bode, Alexey Gurevich, Yan-Ni Shi, Florian Grundmann, Deepa Acharya, Andrés Mauricio Caraballo-Rodríguez, Amina Bouslimani, Morgan Panitchpakdi, Annabell Linck, Changhui Guan, Julia Oh, Pieter C Dorrestein, Helge B Bode, Pavel A Pevzner, Hosein Mohimani

Faculty Research 2021

Non-Ribosomal Peptides (NRPs) represent a biomedically important class of natural products that include a multitude of antibiotics and other clinically used drugs. NRPs are not directly encoded in the genome but are instead produced by metabolic pathways encoded by biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). Since the existing genome mining tools predict many putative NRPs synthesized by a given BGC, it remains unclear which of these putative NRPs are correct and how to identify post-assembly modifications of amino acids in these NRPs in a blind mode, without knowing which modifications exist in the sample. To address this challenge, here we report NRPminer, …

Impact Of Different Plant-Based Foods Consumption On The Composition And Diversity Of Gut Microbiota, Ayoub Al Othaim

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Plant-based diets are primarily derived from plant sources, including fruits and vegetables. Such patterns are associated with health benefits by promoting general health and preventing many diseases and metabolic disorders. Fruits and vegetables are key sources of high-quality nutrients such as dietary fibers and polyphenols. Since they are rich in dietary fibers and polyphenols, whole fruits and vegetables represent unique and somewhat understudied modulators of the gut microbiota and its associated functions. This study aims to (i) investigate the impact of varying dilutions of cherry juices concentrate on the composition of the murine gut microbiota, (ii) investigate the impact of …

Gut Community Response To Wheat Bran And Pinto Bean, Shuen Leow

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

There is general consensus among the scientific community that dietary fibers reduce the risk of Western diseases through their fermentation by beneficial microbial communities in the human gut. However, dietary fibers in wheat bran (WB) and pinto bean (PB) are incompletely fermented by the gut microbiota. Therefore, there is a critical need to identify gut microbial communities that can increase fermentation of dietary fibers from these foods to maximize their disease-preventing properties. The goal of this study was to identify such communities with increased capacity to ferment the dietary fibers in WB and PB. To accomplish these goals, a stepwise …

Genes Related To Redox And Cell Curvature Facilitate Interactions Between Caulobacter Strains And Arabidopsis, Louis Berrios, Bert Ely

Faculty Publications

Bacteria play an integral role in shaping plant growth and development. However, the genetic factors that facilitate plant-bacteria interactions remain largely unknown. Here, we demonstrated the importance of two bacterial genetic factors that facilitate the interactions between plant-growth-promoting (PGP) bacteria in the genus Caulobacter and the host plant Arabidopsis. Using homologous recombination, we disrupted the cytochrome ubiquinol oxidase (cyo) operon in both C. vibrioides CB13 and C. segnis TK0059 by knocking out the expression of cyoB (critical subunit of the cyo operon) and showed that the mutant strains were unable to enhance the growth of …

Longitudinal Assessment Of The Bovine Ocular Bacterial Community Dynamics In Calves, Alison Bartenslager, Nirosh D. Aluthge, John Dustin Loy, Matthew M. Hille, Matthew L. Spangler, Samodha C. Fernando

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Background: Infectious Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis (IBK), commonly known as pinkeye, is one of the most significant diseases of beef cattle. As such, IBK costs the US beef industry at least 150 million annually. However, strategies to prevent IBK are limited, with most cases resulting in treatment with antibiotics once the disease has developed. Longitudinal studies evaluating establishment of the ocular microbiota may identify critical risk periods for IBK outbreaks or changes in the microbiota that may predispose animals to IBK.

Results: In an attempt to characterize the establishment and colonization patterns of the bovine ocular microbiota, we conducted a longitudinal study …

Longitudinal Assessment Of The Bovine Ocular Bacterial Community Dynamics In Calves, Alison Bartenslager, Nirosh D. Aluthge, John Dustin Loy

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Background: Infectious Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis (IBK), commonly known as pinkeye, is one of the most significant diseases of beef cattle. As such, IBK costs the US beef industry at least 150 million annually. However, strategies to prevent IBK are limited, with most cases resulting in treatment with antibiotics once the disease has developed. Longitudinal studies evaluating establishment of the ocular microbiota may identify critical risk periods for IBK outbreaks or changes in the microbiota that may predispose animals to IBK.

Results: In an attempt to characterize the establishment and colonization patterns of the bovine ocular microbiota, we conducted a longitudinal study …

Tick Ecdysteroid Hormone, Global Microbiota/Rickettsia Signaling In The Ovary Versus Carcass During Vitellogenesis In Part-Fed (Virgin) American Dog Ticks, Dermacentor Variabilis, Loganathan Ponnusamy, Haley Sutton, Robert D. Mitchell Iii, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Charles S. Apperson, Richard Michael Roe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The transovarial transmission of tick-borne bacterial pathogens is an important mechanism for their maintenance in natural populations and transmission, causing disease in humans and animals. The mechanism for this transmission and the possible role of tick hormones facilitating this process have never been studied. Injections of physiological levels of the tick hormone, 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), into part-fed (virgin) adult females of the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis, attached to the host caused a reduction in density of Rickettsia montanensis in the carcass and an increase in the ovaries compared to buffer-injected controls. This injection initiates yolk protein synthesis and uptake …

Gut Microbiota Interplay With Covid-19 Reveals Links To Host Lipid Metabolism Among Middle Eastern Populations, Mohammad Tahseen Al Bataineh, Andreas Henschel, Mira Mousa, Marianne Daou, Fathimathuz Waasia, Hussein Kannout, Mariam Khalili, Mohd Azzam Kayasseh, Abdulmajeed Alkhajeh, Maimunah Uddin, Nawal Alkaabi, Guan K. Tay, Samuel F. Feng, Ahmed F. Yousef, Habiba S. Alsafar, Uae Covid-19 Collaborative Partnership

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The interplay between the compositional changes in the gastrointestinal microbiome, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) susceptibility and severity, and host functions is complex and yet to be fully understood. This study performed 16S rRNA gene-based microbial profiling of 143 subjects. We observed structural and compositional alterations in the gut microbiota of the SARS-CoV-2-infected group in comparison to non-infected controls. The gut microbiota composition of the SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals showed an increase in anti-inflammatory bacteria such as Faecalibacterium (p-value = 1.72 × 10–6) and Bacteroides (p-value = 5.67 × 10–8). We also revealed a higher relative abundance of the highly …