<Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila</Emphasis>EGFR pathway coordinates stem cell proliferation and gut remodeling following infection

Background  

Gut homeostasis is central to whole organism health, and its disruption is associated with a broad range of pathologies. Following damage, complex physiological events are required in the gut to maintain proper homeostasis. Previously, we demonstrated that ingestion of a nonlethal pathogen, Erwinia carotovora carotovora 15, induces a massive increase in stem cell proliferation in the gut of Drosophila. However, the precise cellular events that occur following infection have not been quantitatively described, nor do we understand the interaction between multiple pathways that have been implicated in epithelium renewal.     

Chemical modulators of the innate immune response alter gypsy moth larval susceptibility to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus thuringiensis</Emphasis>

Background  

The gut comprises an essential barrier that protects both invertebrate and vertebrate animals from invasion by microorganisms. Disruption of the balanced relationship between indigenous gut microbiota and their host can result in gut bacteria eliciting host responses similar to those caused by invasive pathogens. For example, ingestion of Bacillus thuringiensis by larvae of some species of susceptible Lepidoptera can result in normally benign enteric bacteria exerting pathogenic effects.     

Imbalances in faecal and duodenal <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bifidobacterium</Emphasis> species composition in active and non-active coeliac disease

Background  

Gut bifidobacteria are believed to influence immune-related diseases. The objective of this study was to assess the possible relationships between the gut bifidobacteria composition and coeliac disease (CD) in children.     

Inflammatory cytokines induce MAdCAM-1 in murine hepatic endothelial cells and mediate alpha-4 beta-7 integrin dependent lymphocyte endothelial adhesion <Emphasis Type="Italic">In Vitro</Emphasis>

Background  

MAdCAM-1 plays a central role in T-lymphocyte homing to the gut, but its role in chronic liver inflammation remains unknown. Therefore, this study measured MAdCAM-1 expression, regulation, and function in cultured murine hepatic endothelial cells.     

Roles of CUP-5, the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Caenorhabditis elegans</Emphasis> orthologue of human TRPML1, in lysosome and gut granule biogenesis

Background  

CUP-5 is a Transient Receptor Potential protein in C. elegans that is the orthologue of mammalian TRPML1. Loss of TRPML1 results in the lysosomal storage disorder Mucolipidosis type IV. Loss of CUP-5 results in embryonic lethality and the accumulation of enlarged yolk granules in developing intestinal cells. The embryonic lethality of cup-5 mutants is rescued by mutations in mrp-4, which is required for gut granule differentiation. Gut granules are intestine-specific lysosome-related organelles that accumulate birefringent material. This link between CUP-5 and gut granules led us to determine the roles of CUP-5 in lysosome and gut granule biogenesis in developing intestinal cells.     

Characterization of the astacin family of metalloproteases in <Emphasis Type="Italic">C. elegans</Emphasis>

Background  

Astacins are a large family of zinc metalloproteases found in bacteria and animals. They have diverse roles ranging from digestion of food to processing of extracellular matrix components. The C. elegans genome contains an unusually large number of astacins, of which the majority have not been functionally characterized yet.     

Identification of genes involved in the mutualistic colonization of the nematode <Emphasis Type="Italic">Heterorhabditis bacteriophora</Emphasis> by the bacterium <Emphasis Type="Italic">Photorhabdus luminescens</Emphasis>

Background  

Photorhabdus are Gram negative entomopathogenic bacteria that also have a mutualistic association with nematodes from the family Heterorhabditis. An essential part of this symbiosis is the ability of the bacterium to colonize the gut of the freeliving form of the nematode called the infective juvenile (IJ). Although the colonization process (also called transmission) has been described phenomonologically very little is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms. Therefore, in this study, we were interested in identifying genes in Photorhabdus that are important for IJ colonization.     

Proteomic analysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salmonella enterica</Emphasis> serovar Enteritidis following propionate adaptation

Background  

Salmonella Enteritidis is a highly prevalent and persistent foodborne pathogen and is therefore a leading cause of nontyphoidal gastrointestinal disease worldwide. A variety of stresses are endured throughout its infection cycle, including high concentrations of propionate (PA) within food processing systems and within the gut of infected hosts. Prolonged PA exposure experienced in such milieus may have a drastic effect on the proteome of Salmonella Enteritidis subjected to this stress.     

Characterisation of the role of Vrp1 in cell fusion during the development of visceral muscle of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila melanogaster</Emphasis>

Background  

In Drosophila muscle cell fusion takes place both during the formation of the somatic mesoderm and the visceral mesoderm, giving rise to the skeletal muscles and the gut musculature respectively. The core process of myoblast fusion is believed to be similar for both organs. The actin cytoskeleton regulator Verprolin acts by binding to WASP, which in turn binds to the Arp2/3 complex and thus activates actin polymerization. While Verprolin has been shown to be important for somatic muscle cell fusion, the function of this protein in visceral muscle fusion has not been determined.     

Diversification and adaptive sequence evolution of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Caenorhabditis</Emphasis>lysozymes (Nematoda: Rhabditidae)

Background  

Lysozymes are important model enzymes in biomedical research with a ubiquitous taxonomic distribution ranging from phages up to plants and animals. Their main function appears to be defence against pathogens, although some of them have also been implicated in digestion. Whereas most organisms have only few lysozyme genes, nematodes of the genus Caenorhabditis possess a surprisingly large repertoire of up to 15 genes.     

A new lysozyme from the eastern oyster, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Crassostrea virginica</Emphasis>, and a possible evolutionary pathway for i-type lysozymes in bivalves from host defense to digestion

Background  

Lysozymes are enzymes that lyse bacterial cell walls, an activity widely used for host defense but also modified in some instances for digestion. The biochemical and evolutionary changes between these different functional forms has been well-studied in the c-type lysozymes of vertebrates, but less so in the i-type lysozymes prevalent in most invertebrate animals. Some bivalve molluscs possess both defensive and digestive lysozymes.     

Gut expansion and contraction in the predatory soil mite Pergamasus longicornis (Mesostigmata: Parasitidae): a stiff system

Mite digestive processes are inferred from gut expansion and contraction time in the free-living predatory soil mite Pergamasus longicornis (Berlese), estimated using a temporal series of histological sections. Gut regions (bar the rectal vesicle) behave broadly in unison for rapid initial filling (ingestion half-life about 2–3 min; max 8 min), but behave heterogeneously when slowly emptying (digestion/egestion half-life from about 2–3 h; max 8.5 h). Anterior gut regions fill and empty the earliest. Posterior gut regions take the longest to fill and to empty. Switching first from filling-predominating to emptying-predominating in the gut occurs around 2 h from the start of feeding. Median time for the initial completion of gut filling and for the commencement of gut emptying is 10 min and 12.5 h, respectively, from the start of feeding. Three phases of gut changes are critically discussed: rapid filling, concentration by fluid loss (via coxal glands), and slow emptying. Independent corroboration of coxal droplet formation is included. Predictions to confirm or refute postulated mechanisms of salivary, coxal or rectal water balance are given. Overall total gut filling (ingestion) plus gut emptying (digestion/egestion) time in this poikilotherm is approximately 29–52.5 h ( \(1^{+}-2^{+}\) days) at room temperature from the start of feeding on large dipteran prey ( \(\equiv 0.46-0.83\) gut emptyings per day). Pergamasus longicornis exhibits the stiff digestive system of an intermittent ‘bolus’ feeder.     

Gut flora enhance bacterial clearance in lung through toll-like receptors 4

Background  

The influence of the gut flora on lung inflammatory reaction against bacterial challenge remains undefined. This study was designed to investigate whether gut flora enhances lung defense against E.coli pneumonia through TLR4 signaling.     

New insights into protein-protein interaction data lead to increased estimates of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">S. cerevisiae</Emphasis> interactome size

Background  

As protein interactions mediate most cellular mechanisms, protein-protein interaction networks are essential in the study of cellular processes. Consequently, several large-scale interactome mapping projects have been undertaken, and protein-protein interactions are being distilled into databases through literature curation; yet protein-protein interaction data are still far from comprehensive, even in the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Estimating the interactome size is important for evaluating the completeness of current datasets, in order to measure the remaining efforts that are required.     

The ClpP protease homologue is required for the transmission traits and cell division of the pathogen <Emphasis Type="Italic">Legionella pneumophila</Emphasis>

Background  

Legionella pneumophila, the intracellular bacterial pathogen that causes Legionnaires' disease, exhibit characteristic transmission traits such as elevated stress tolerance, shortened length and virulence during the transition from the replication phase to the transmission phase. ClpP, the catalytic core of the Clp proteolytic complex, is widely involved in many cellular processes via the regulation of intracellular protein quality.     

Impact of a synbiotic food on the gut microbial ecology and metabolic profiles

Background  

The human gut harbors a diverse community of microorganisms which serve numerous important functions for the host wellbeing. Functional foods are commonly used to modulate the composition of the gut microbiota contributing to the maintenance of the host health or prevention of disease. In the present study, we characterized the impact of one month intake of a synbiotic food, containing fructooligosaccharides and the probiotic strains Lactobacillus helveticus Bar13 and Bifidobacterium longum Bar33, on the gut microbiota composition and metabolic profiles of 20 healthy subjects.     

Immunohistochemical evidence for an endocrine/paracrine role for ghrelin in the reproductive tissues of sheep

Background  

The gut hormone, ghrelin, is involved in the neuroendocrine and metabolic responses to hunger. In monogastric species, circulating ghrelin levels show clear meal-related and body weight-related changes. The pattern of secretion and its role in ruminant species is less clear. Ghrelin acts via growth hormone secretagogue receptors (GHSR-1a) to alter food intake, fat utilization, and cellular proliferation. There is also evidence that ghrelin is involved in reproductive function. In the present study we used immunohistochemistry to investigate the presence of ghrelin and GHSR-1a in sheep reproductive tissues. In addition, we examined whether ghrelin and GHSR-1a protein expression is developmentally regulated in the adult and fetal ovine testis, and whether there is an association with markers of cellular proliferation, i.e. stem cell factor (SCF) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA).     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Staphylococcus epidermidis</Emphasis>: A differential trait of the fecal microbiota of breast-fed infants

Background  

Breast milk is an important source of staphylococci and other bacterial groups to the infant gut. The objective of this work was to analyse the bacterial diversity in feces of breast-fed infants and to compare it with that of formula-fed ones. A total of 23 women and their respective infants (16 breast-fed and 7 formula-fed) participated in the study. The 16 women and their infants provided a sample of breast milk and feces, respectively, at days 7, 14, and 35. The samples were plated onto different culture media. Staphylococcal and enterococcal isolates were submitted to genetic profiling and to a characterization scheme, including detection of potential virulence traits and sensitivity to antibiotics.