Food Science Commons^™

Candida Albicans Quorum-Sensing Molecule Farnesol Modulates Staphyloxanthin Production And Activates The Thiol-Based Oxidative-Stress Response In Staphylococcus Aureus, Taissa Vila, Eric F. Kong, Ahmed Ibrahim, Kurt Piepenbrink, Amol C. Shetty, Carrie Mccracken, Vincent Bruno, Mary Ann Jabra-Rizk

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Microbial species utilize secreted-signaling molecules to coordinate their behavior. Our previous investigations demonstrated a key role for the Candida albicans-secreted quorum-sensing molecule farnesol in modulating Staphylococcus aureus response to antimicrobials in mixed biofilms. In this study, we aimed to provide mechanistic insights into the impact of farnesol on S. aureus within the context of inter-species interactions. To mimic biofilm dynamics, farnesol-sensitized S. aureus cells were generated via sequential farnesol exposure. The sensitized phenotype exhibited dramatic loss of the typical pigment, which we identified as staphyloxanthin, an important virulence factor synthesized by the Crt operon in S. aureus. Additionally, farnesol exposure …

Cell Wall Enzymes In Zygnema Circumcarinatum Utex 1559 Respond To Osmotic Stress In A Plant-Like Fashion, Elisabeth Fitzek, Lauren Orton, Sarah Entwistle, W. Scott Grayburn, Catherine Ausland, Melvin R. Duvall, Yanbin Yin

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Previous analysis of charophyte green algal (CGA) genomes and transcriptomes for specific protein families revealed that numerous land plant characteristics had already evolved in CGA. In this study, we have sequenced and assembled the transcriptome of Zygnema circumcarinatum UTEX 1559, and combined its predicted protein sequences with those of 13 additional species [five embryophytes (Emb), eight charophytes (Cha), and two chlorophytes (Chl) as the outgroup] for a comprehensive comparative genomics analysis. In total 25,485 orthologous gene clusters (OGCs, equivalent to protein families) of the 14 species were classified into nine OGC groups. For example, the ChaCEmb group contains 4,174 OGCs …

Nitrogen, Cobalt Co-Doped Fluorescent Magnetic Carbon Dots As Ratiometric Fluorescent Probes For Cholesterol And Uric Acid In Human Blood Serum, Shan Huang, Erli Yang, Jiandong Yao, Xu Chu, Yi Liu, Yue Zhang, Qi Xiao

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Detection of cholesterol and uric acid biomarkers is of great importance for clinical diagnosis of several serious diseases correlated with their variations in human blood serum. In this study, a new kind of well selective and highly sensitive ratiometric fluorescent probe for cholesterol and uric acid determination in human blood serum was innovatively developed on the basis of the inner filter effect (IFE) process of nitrogen, cobalt co-doped carbon dots (N,Co-CDs) with 2,3-diaminophenazine (DAP). DAP was the oxidative product during the oxidation reaction between ophenylenediamine and H2O2. Fluorescent magnetic N,Co-CDs possessing blue emission and magnetic property were prepared through a …

Long-Term Use Of Antibiotics And Risk Of Colorectal Adenoma, Yin Cao, Kana Wu, Raaj Mehta, David A. Drew, Mingyang Song, Paul Lochhead, Long H. Nguyen, Jacques Izard, Charles S. Fuchs, Wendy S. Garrett, Curtis Huttenhower, Shuji Ogino, Edward L. Giovannucci, Andrew T. Chan

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Objective: Recent evidence suggests that antibiotic use, which alters the gut microbiome, is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. However, the association between antibiotic use and risk of colorectal adenoma, the precursor for the majority of colorectal cancers, has not been investigated.

Design: We prospectively evaluated the association between antibiotic use at age 20–39 and 40–59 (assessed in 2004) and recent antibiotic use (assessed in 2008) with risk of subsequent colorectal adenoma among 16,642 women aged ≥ 60 enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study who underwent at least one colonoscopy through 2010. We used multivariate logistic …

Corrigendum: Use Of Uv Treated Milk Powder To Increase Vaccine Efficacy In The Elderly, Sara Schaefer, Kasper Arthur Hettinga, James Cullor, J. Bruce German, Bethany M. Henrick

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

“Peripheral blood samples were collected at the time of enrollment (week 0) and serum was stored at −80◦C until subsequent analysis. Participants were then randomized into two groups and provided with equal concentration and quantity of either dairy or soy supplement provided in powdered form in coded, single-serving bags. Both participants and researchers were blinded to the type of protein received. Participants were asked to consume two servings of protein powder (6 grams/packet) with 4 ounces of water or applesauce twice per day, with meals, for a total of 8 weeks. At week 4, participants were vaccinated with DTaP vaccine …

Tlr10 Senses Hiv-1 Proteins And Significantly Enhances Hiv-1 Infection, Bethany M. Henrick, Xiao-Dan Yao, Muhammad Atif Zahoor, Alash’Le Abimiku, Sophia Osawe, Kenneth L. Rosenthal

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a crucial role in innate immunity and provide a first line of host defense against invading pathogens. Of the identified human TLRs, TLR10 remains an orphan receptor whose ligands and functions are poorly understood. In the present study, we sought to evaluate the level of TLR10 expression in breastmilk (BM) and explore its potential function in the context of HIV-1 infection. We evaluated HIV-1-infected (Nigerian: n = 40) and uninfected (Nigerian: n = 27; Canadian: n = 15) BM samples for TLR expression (i.e., TLR10, TLR2, and TLR1) and report here that HIV-1-infected BM from Nigerian …

Hydrodistillation Extraction Kinetics Regression Models For Essential Oil Yield And Composition In Juniperus Virginiana, J. Excelsa, And J. Sabina, Ivanka B. Semerdjieva, Santosh Shiwakoti, Charles L. Cantrell, Valtcho D. Zheljazkov, Tess Astatkie, Vicki L. Schlegel, Tzenka Radoukova

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The chemical profile and antioxidant capacity of Juniperus virginiana, J. excelsa, and J. sabina essential oil (EO) fractions as a function of time was the subject of this study. The hypothesis was that, capturing EO in sequential timeframes during hydrodistillation would generate fractions containing unique compositions and antioxidant capacity. In J. virginiana, the highest limonene (43%) was found in the 0–5 min oil fraction, with safrole (37%) being highest in the 10–20 and 20–40 min fractions, and elemol (34%) being highest in the 160–240 min fraction. In J. excelsa, α-pinene (34-36%) was the highest in the 0–5 min …

Orphan Genes Shared By Pathogenic Genomes Are More Associated With Bacterial Pathogenicity, Sarah Entwistle, Yanbin Yin

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Orphan genes (also known as ORFans [i.e., orphan open reading frames]) are new genes that enable an organism to adapt to its specific living environment. Our focus in this study is to compare ORFans between pathogens (P) and nonpathogens (NP) of the same genus. Using the pangenome idea, we have identified 130,169 ORFans in nine bacterial genera (505 genomes) and classified these ORFans into four groups: (i) SS-ORFans (P), which are only found in a single pathogenic genome; (ii) SS-ORFans (NP), which are only found in a single nonpathogenic genome; (iii) PS-ORFans (P), which are found in multiple pathogenic genomes; …

Gut Microbiota Dependent Anti-Tumor Immunity Restricts Melanoma Growth In Rnf5−/− Mice, Yan Li, Roberto Tinoco, Lisa Elmén, Igor Segota, Yibo Xian, Yu Fujita, Avinash Sahu, Raphy Zarecki, Kerrie Marie, Yongmei Feng, Ali Khateb, Dennie T. Frederick, Shiri K. Ashkenazi, Hyungsoo Kim, Eva Guijarro Perez, Chi-Ping Day, Rafael S. Segura Muñoz, Robert Schmaltz, Shibu Yooseph, Miguel A. Tam, Tongwu Zhang, Emily Avitan-Hersh, Lihi Tzur, Shoshana Roizman, Ilanit Boyango, Gil Bar-Sela, Amir Orian, Randal J. Kaufman, Marcus Bosenberg, Colin R. Goding, Bas Baaten, Mitchell P. Levesque, Reinhard Dummer, Kevin Brown, Glenn Merlino, Eytan Ruppin, Keith Flaherty, Amanda Ramer-Tait, Tao Long, Scott N. Peterson, Linda M. Bradley, Ze’Ev A. Ronai

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Accumulating evidence points to an important role for the gut microbiome in anti-tumor immunity. Here, we show that altered intestinal microbiota contributes to anti-tumor immunity, limiting tumor expansion. Mice lacking the ubiquitin ligase RNF5 exhibit attenuated activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) components, which coincides with increased expression of inflammasome components, recruitment and activation of dendritic cells and reduced expression of antimicrobial peptides in intestinal epithelial cells. Reduced UPR expression is also seen in murine and human melanoma tumor specimens that responded to immune checkpoint therapy. Co-housing of Rnf5−/− and WT mice abolishes the anti-tumor immunity and tumor inhibition …

Mycoprotein: The Future Of Nutritious Nonmeat Protein, A Symposium Review, Tim Ja Finnigan, Benjamin T. Wall, Peter J. Wilde, Francis B. Stephens, Steve Taylor, Marjorie R. Freedman

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Mycoprotein is an alternative, nutritious protein source with a meat-like texture made from Fusarium venenatum, a naturally occurring fungus. Its unique method of production yields a significantly reduced carbon and water footprint relative to beef and chicken. Mycoprotein, sold as Quorn, is consumed in 17 countries, including the United States. In line with current dietary guidelines, mycoprotein is high in protein and fiber, and low in fat, cholesterol, sodium, and sugar. Mycoprotein may help maintain healthy blood cholesterol levels, promote muscle synthesis, control glucose and insulin levels, and increase satiety. It is possible that some susceptible consumers will become sensitized, …

In Vitro Bioaccessibility Of Low-Crystallinity Phytosterol Nanoparticles Generated Using Nanoporous Starch Bioaerogels, Ali Ubeyitogullari, Regis Moreau, Devin J. Rose, Ozan Ciftci

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Phytosterols are natural health-promoting bioactive compounds; however, phytosterols have very limited bioavailability due to their crystalline lipophilic structure. With the aim of improving bioaccessibility, low-crystallinity phytosterol nanoparticles were generated by supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) impregnation of phytosterols into nanoporous starch aerogels (NSAs). The in vitro bioaccessibility of the phytosterol nanoparticles (35%) was significantly higher than that of the crude phytosterols (3%) after sequential oral, gastric, and intestinal digestion. The percentages of starch hydrolysis were not different among the various NSA preparations and reached to 64% after sequential digestion. The zeta potential of the phytosterol nanoparticles was higher compared to that …

Formation Of Low-Density And Free-Flowing Hollow Microparticles From Butter And Fractionated Palm Oil Mixture, Joshua Gudeman, Junsi Yang, Ozan Ciftci

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The use of solid fats is challenging due to difficulty in incorporating into foods, handling during industrial food production, and relatively high-calorie contributions. The objective of this study was to form free-flowing and low-density hollow microparticles from nonhydrogenated fats, namely, butter and fractionated palm oil, using a novel method based on atomization of a carbon dioxide (CO₂)- expanded lipid mixture. The melting point of the fractionated palm oil decreased from 66.2 to 47.3°C above 120 bar in the presence of pressurized CO₂. The density of the particles decreased five-folds compared to that of the original oils. …

Extraction Of Astaxanthin From Engineered Camelina Sativa Seed Using Ethanol-Modified Supercritical Carbon Dioxide, Liyang Xie, Edgar B. Cahoon, Yue Zhang, Ozan Ciftci

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Natural astaxanthin, a high-value carotenoid that is currently extracted mainly from marine organisms, was extracted from engineered camelina seed using ethanol-modified supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂) for the first time, and compared with hexane and accelerated solvent extraction using hexane and ethanol. Response surface methodology (RSM) based on central composite rotatable design was employed to investigate the effect of pressure (30–45 MPa), temperature (40–60 °C), and ethanol concentration (10–35%, w/w). RSM-optimized conditions (41.6 MPa, 36.6 °C and 42.0% ethanol concentration) predicted the astaxanthin concentration as 437 μg/g oil, whereas the actual concentration was 421 ± 14 μg/g oil. Astaxanthin …

Histone Acetylation Increases In Response To Ferulic, Gallic, And Sinapic Acids Acting Synergistically In Vitro To Inhibit Candida Albicans Yeast‐To‐Hyphae Transition, Cristiane R. S. Câmara, Qin-Yin Shi, Matthew Pedersen, Richard Zbasnik, Kenneth Nickerson, Vicki Schlegel

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Novel treatments are needed to prevent candidiasis/candidemia infection due to the emergence of Candida species resistant to current antifungals. Considering the yeast-to‐hyphae switch is a critical factor to Candida albicans virulence, phenols common in plant sources have been reported to demonstrating their ability to prevent dimorphism. Therefore, phenols present in many agricultural waste stress (ferulic (FA) and gallic (GA) acid) were initially screened in isolation for their yeast‐to‐hyphae inhibitory properties at times 3, 6, and 24 hr. Both FA and GA inhibited 50% of hyphae formation inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) but at a concentration of 8.0 ± 0.09 and …

Genomic Variations Underlying Speciation And Niche Specialization Of Shewanella Baltica, Jie Deng, Jennifer M. Auchtung, Konstantinos T. Konstantinidis, Ingrid Brettar, Manfred G. Höfle, James M. Tiedje

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Shewanella baltica was the dominant culturable nitrate-reducing bacterium in the eutrophic and strongly stratified Baltic Sea in the 1980s, where it primar- ily inhabited the oxic-anoxic transition zone. The genomic structures of 46 of these isolates were investigated through comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), which revealed a gradient of genomic similarity, ranging from 65% to as high as 99%. The core genome of the S. baltica species was enriched in anaerobic respiration-associated genes. Auxiliary genes, most of which locate within a few genomic islands (GIs), were nonuniformly distributed among the isolates. Specifically, hypothet- ical and mobile genetic element (MGE)-associated genes dominated …

The Microbiomes Of Pancreatic And Duodenum Tissue Overlap And Are Highly Subject Specific But Differ Between Pancreatic Cancer And Non-Cancer Subjects, Erika Del Castillo, Richard Meier, Mei Chung, Devin C. Koestler, Tsute Chen, Bruce J. Paster, Kevin P. Charpentier, Karl T. Kelsey, Jacques Izard, Dominique S. Michaud

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Background: In mice, bacteria from the mouth can translocate to the pancreas and impact pancreatic cancer progression. In humans, oral bacteria associated with periodontal disease have been linked to pancreatic cancer risk. It is not known if DNA bacterial profiles in the pancreas and duodenum are similar within individuals.

Methods: Tissue samples were obtained from 50 subjects with pancreatic cancer or other conditions requiring foregut surgery at the Rhode Island Hospital (RIH), and from thirty-four organs obtained from the National Disease Research Interchange. 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed on 189 tissue samples (pancreatic duct, duodenum, pancreas), 57 …

Physicochemical Properties And Rheological Behavior Of Flours And Starches From Four Bean Varieties For Gluten-Free Pasta Formulation, Hollman Motta Romero, Yue Zhang

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The rheological behavior of gluten-free flour dispersions from four pulse market classes, including great northern, navy, red kidney (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), and garbanzo beans (Cicer arietinum) were evaluated and compared to soft wheat as a gluten-containing control. Their starches were isolated and the relationships between flour behavior and starch characteristics were studied. Soft wheat (56%) and garbanzo (39%) flours presented higher starch contents than the Phaseolus vulgaris beans (33–35%), which resulted in the development of stronger gel network structures. It was found that starch amylose content and granule size affected the swelling and pasting properties of both starches and flours. …

N-Glycans From Human Milk Glycoproteins Are Selectively Released By An Infant Gut Symbiont In Vivo, Sercan Karav, Giorgio Casaburi, Aysenur Arslan, Merve Kaplan, Berfin Sucu, Steven Frese

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Complex, indigestible free oligosaccharides as well as conjugated glycans are found in milk that shape the gut microbiome of infants. The activity of an endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase from B. longum subsp. infantis (B. infantis) is known to release N-glycans from native milk glycoproteins under physiological conditions. We investigated whether this enzyme is active in vivo in breastfed infants fed B. infantis EVC001. Using mass spectrometry, we found 19 N-glycans related to human milk glycoproteins increased in abundance, similar to previous work using bovine milk glycoproteins, and these 19 N-glycans matched unique specificities of this enzyme. Twenty N …

Unorthodox Synthesis, Biological Activity And Dft Studies Of Novel And Multifunctionalized Naphthoxocine Derivatives, Mohamed Ahmed Abozeid, Aya Atef El-Sawi, Mohamed Ramadan Elmorsy, Mohamed Abdelmoteleb, Abdel-Rahman Hassan Abdel- Rahman, El-Sayed Ibrahim El-Desoky

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

A new promising protocol has been developed for the synthesis of scarce oxocine derivatives 3a–e and 6 through addition of amine-based nucleophiles such as hydroxylamine hydrochloride, primary amine and hydrazide to chromonylidene benzothiazol-2-ylacetonitrile 2 in refluxing dioxane under metal free reaction conditions in moderate to good yields. Other nitrogen nucleophiles such as piperidine, hydrazine and thiosemicarbazide failed to afford the corresponding oxocinols, and instead pyridine derivatives 7, 8 and 10 were obtained exclusively. Predictive study for the biological activities using PASS (prediction of activity spectra for biologically active substances) online software showed optimistic activities for oxocinols 3a–e in the treatment …

In Vitro Bioaccessibility Of Novel Low-Crystallinity Phytosterol Nanoparticles In Non-Fat And Regular-Fat Foods, Ali Ubeyitogullari, Ozan Ciftci

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Crystalline structure of phytosterols leads to poor bioavailability and makes their incorporation into foods challenging. Bioaccessibility of first-of-their-kind low-crystallinity phytosterol nanoparticles impregnated in nanoporous starch aerogels (PS-NSA) was evaluated in non-, low-, and regular-fat solid and aqueous food formulations, namely, granola bars and puddings for the first time. Bioaccessibility of the phytosterol nanoparticles was significantly higher than that of crude phytosterols in all food formulations (p < .05); it was 88.2 and 91.8% for low- or regular-fat granola bars, respectively, whereas bioaccessibility of crude phytosterols was ca. 30% in those formulations. However, decreasing the lipid content to zero resulted in lower phytosterols' bioaccessibilities from both PS-NSA (53%) and crude phytosterols (ca. 16%) in non-fat granola bars. Bioaccessibility of crude phytosterols (2%) was significantly enhanced with PS-NSA (19%) in the pudding formulation. PS-NSA allows preparation of low- and non-fat foods enriched with phytosterols while enhancing the health benefits of phytosterols with smaller doses.

Use Of Uv Treated Milk Powder To Increase Vaccine Efficacy In The Elderly, Sara Schaefer, Kasper Arthur Hettinga, James Cullor, J. Bruce German, University Of Nebraska - Lincoln

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Aging populations experience a decline in adaptive immune system function also known as immunosenesence. Protein nutrition has been shown to stimulate and strengthen the immune system, and such approaches are needed for this growing segment of the population. A controlled, randomized, double blind pilot study was conducted to compare two different protein sources (soy and dairy) as nutritional supplementation to enhance vaccine response. Our objective was to examine the immune stimulating effects of dairy protein subjected to ultraviolet radiation (UV-C) radiation treatment process instead of pasteurization. Participants were 21 healthy individuals over 60 years of age who consumed 6 g …

Computational Modeling And Functional Characterization Of A Ggchi: A Class Iii Chitinase From Corms Of Gladiolus Grandiflorus, Maria Rafiq, Ashiq Hussain, Kausar Hussain Shah, Qamar Saeed, Muhammad Umair Sial, Zahid Ali, Friedrich Buck, Richard E. Goodman, Binish Khaliq, Uzma Ishaq, Mirza Ahsen Baig, Aisha Munawar, Seema Mahmood, Ahmed Akrem

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The present study describes the predicted model and functional characterization of an endochitinase (30 kDa) from corms of Gladiolus grandiflorus. ESI-QTOF-MS generated peptide showed 96% sequence homology with family 18, Class III acidic endochitinase of Gladiolus gandavensis. Purified G. grandiflorus chitinase (GgChi) hydrolyzed 4-methylumbelliferyl b-DN, N0,N00-triacetylchitotriose substrate showing specific endochitinase activity. Since no structural details of GgChi were available in the Protein Data Bank (PDB), a homology model was predicted using the coordinate information of Crocus vernus chitinase (PDB ID: 3SIM). Ramachandran plot indicated 84.5% in most favored region, 14.8% in additional and 0.6% in generously allowed region while no …

Mind The Gaps: How Can Food Safety Gaps Be Addressed In Developing Nations?, Jessie L. Vipham, Byron D. Chaves, Valentina Trinetta

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

As global food systems integrate, to meet the demands of a growing global population, safe and healthy agriculture value-chains will be essential to maintaining public health worldwide. In many ways, the current global food production landscape is made up of “mice and men.” Meaning that the food sector within and across most countries includes both large-scale corporate agriculture production and varying degrees of small-scale agriculture production; the variation being the interpretation of small scale, which is highly dependent upon the country. This structure presents challenges for the creation of effective food safety systems in many countries, and can contribute to …

Purification And Characterization Of Naturally Occurring Post-Translationally Cleaved Ara H 6, An Allergen That Contributes Substantially To The Allergenic Potency Of Peanut, Govardus A. H. De Jong, Shyamali Jayasena, Philip Johnson, Justin Marsh, Danijela Apostolovic, Marianne Van Hage, Julie A. Nordlee, Joe Baumert, Steve L. Taylor, Camille Roucairol, Harmen De Jongh, Stef J. Koppelman

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The 2S albumin Ara h 6 is one of the most important peanut allergens. A post-translationally cleaved Ara h 6 (pAra h 6) was purified from Virginia type peanuts, and the cleavage site was mapped using high-resolution mass spectrometry. Compared to intact Ara h 6, pAra h 6 lacks a 5-amino acid stretch, resembling amino acids 43−47 (UniProt accession number Q647G9) in the nonstructured loop. Consequently, pAra h 6 consists of two chains: an N-terminal chain of approximately 5 kDa and a C-terminal chain of approximately 9 kDa, held together by disulfide bonds. Intermediate post-translationally cleaved products, in which this …

Experimental Evaluation Of The Importance Of Colonization History In Early-Life Gut Microbiota Assembly, Inés Martínez, Maria X. Maldonado-Gomez, João Carlos Gomes-Neto, Hatem Kittana, Hua Ding, Robert J. Schmaltz, Payal Joglekar, Roberto Jiménez Cardona, Nathan L Marsteller, Steven W. Kembel, Andrew K. Benson, Daniel A. Peterson, Amanda Ramer-Tait, Jens C. Walter

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The factors that govern assembly of the gut microbiota are insufficiently understood. Here, we test the hypothesis that inter-individual microbiota variation can arise solely from differences in the order and timing by which the gut is colonized early in life. Experiments in which mice were inoculated in sequence either with two complex seed communities or a cocktail of four bacterial strains and a seed community revealed that colonization order influenced both the outcome of community assembly and the ecological success of individual colonizers. Historical contingency and priority effects also occurred in Rag1^-/- mice, suggesting that the adaptive immune system …

The Msdin Family In Amanitin-Producing Mushrooms And Evolution Of The Prolyl Oligopeptidase Genes, Hong Luo, Qing Cai, Yungjiao Luli, Xuan Li, Rohita Sinha, Heather E. Hallen-Adams, Zhu L. Yang

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The biosynthetic pathway for amanitins and related cyclic peptides in deadly Amanita (Amanitace ae) mushrooms represents the first known ribosomal cyclic peptide pathway in the Fungi. Amanitins are found outside of the genus in distantly related agarics Galerina (Strophariaceae) and Lepiota (Agaricaceae). A long-standing question in the field persists: why is this pathway present in these phylogenetically disjunct agarics? Two deadly mushrooms, A. pallidorosea and A. subjunquillea, were deep sequenced, and sequences of biosynthetic genes encoding MSDINs (cyclic peptide presursor) and prolyl oligopeptidases (POPA and POPB) were obtained. The two Amanita species yielded 20 and 18 MSDINs, respectively. In addition, …

Dietary Patterns And Risk Of Colorectal Cancer Subtypes Classified By Fusobacterium Nucleatum In Tumor Tissue, Raaj S. Mehta, Reiko Nishihara, Yin Cao, Mingyang Song, Kosuke Mima, Zhi Rong Qian, Jonathan A. Nowak, Keisuke Kosumi, Tsuyoshi Hamada, Yohei Masugi, Susan Bullman, David A. Drew, Aleksandar D. Kostic, Teresa T. Fung, Wendy S. Garrett, Curtis Huttenhower, Kana Wu, Jeffrey A. Meyerhardt, Xuehong Zhang, Walter C. Willett, Edward L. Giovannucci, Charles S. Fuchs, Andrew T. Chan, Shuji Ogino

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Importance—Fusobacterium nucleatum appears to play a role in colorectal carcinogenesis through suppression of host immune response to tumor. Evidence also suggests that diet influences intestinal F. nucleatum. However, the role of F. nucleatum in mediating the relationship between diet and the risk of colorectal cancer is unknown.

Objective—To test the hypothesis that the associations of prudent diets (rich in whole grains and dietary fiber) and Western diets (rich in red and processed meat, refined grains, and desserts) with colorectal cancer risk may differ according to the presence of F. nucleatum in tumor tissue.

Design—Prospective cohort study.

Setting—The Nurses’ Health Study …

Colonization Of Breastfed Infants By Bifidobacterium Longum Subsp. Infantis Evc001 Reduces Virulence Gene Abundance, Giorgio Casaburi, Steven A. Frese

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The infant gut microbiome is rapidly colonized by bacteria from the environment after birth, and this gut ecosystem can facilitate expansion of potential pathogens. Human milk shapes the infant gut microbiome and has evolved to foster the growth of specific bacteria. Breastfed infants fed the coevolved infant gut symbiont Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis EVC001 had significant modifications to their gut metagenome, including a decreased number of virulence factor genes.

Stability Of The Human Faecal Microbiome In A Cohort Of Adult Men, Raaj S. Mehta, David A. Drew, Jason Lloyd-Price, Ayshwarya Subramaian, Paul Lochhead, Amit D. Joshi, Kerry L. Ivey, Hamed Khalili, Gordon T. Brown, Casey Dulong, Mingyang Song, Long H. Nguyen, Himel Mallick, Eric B. Rimm, Jacques Izard, Curtis Huttenhower, Andrew T. Chan, Galeb S. Abu-Ali

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Characterizing the stability of the gut microbiome is important to exploit it as a therapeutic target and diagnostic biomarker. We metagenomically and metatranscriptomically sequenced the faecal microbiomes of 308 participants in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Participants provided four stool samples—one pair collected 24–72 h apart and a second pair ~6 months later. Within-person taxonomic and functional variation was consistently lower than between-person variation over time. In contrast, metatranscriptomic profiles were comparably variable within and between subjects due to higher within-subject longitudinal variation. Metagenomic instability accounted for ~74% of corresponding metatranscriptomic instability. The rest was probably attributable to sources such …

Shared Mechanisms Among Probiotic Taxa: Implications For General Probiotic Claims, Mary Ellen Sanders, Andrew K. Benson, Sarah Lebeer, Daniel J. Merenstein, Todd R. Klaenhammer

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Strain-specificity of probiotic effects has been a cornerstone principle of probiotic science for decades. Certainly, some important mechanisms are present in only a few probiotic strains. But scientific advances now reveal commonalities among members of certain taxonomic groups of probiotic microbes. Some clinical benefits likely derive from these shared mechanisms, suggesting that sub-species-specific, species specific or genus-specific probiotic effects exist. Human trials are necessary to confirm specific health benefits. However, a strain that has not been tested in human efficacy trials may meet the minimum definition of the term ‘probiotic’ if it is a member of a well-studied probiotic species …