The larval midgut of the cassava hornworm (Erinnyis ello)

Summary Columnar cells of the larval midgut of the cassava hornworm, Erinnyis ello, display microvilli with vesicles pinching off from their tips (anterior and middle midgut) or with a large number of double membrane spheres budding along their length (posterior midgut). Basal infoldings in columnar cells occur in a parallel array with many openings to the underlying space (posterior midgut) or are less organized with few openings (anterior and middle midgut). Goblet cells have a cavity, which is formed by invagination of the apical membrane and which occupies most of the cell (anterior and middle midgut) or only its upper part (posterior midgut). The infolded apical membrane shows modified microvilli, which sometimes (posterior midgut) or always (anterior and middle midgut) contain mitochondria. The cytoplasmic side of the membrane of the microvilli that contain mitochondria are studded with small particles. The results suggest that the anterior and middle region of the midgut absorbs water, whereas the posterior region secretes it. This results in a countercurrent flux of fluid, which is responsible for the enzyme recovery from undigested food before it is expelled. Intermediary and final digestion of food probably occur in the columnar cells under the action of plasma membrane-bound and glycocalix-associated enzymes.     

K+ current stimulation by Cl- in the midgut epithelium of tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta)

Summary Chloride-stimulated K⁺ secretion by Manduca sexta midgut (5th-instar larvae) was measured as K⁺-carried short-circuit current of the tissue mounted in an Ussing chamber. Microscopic parameters, such as single-channel current and channel density for the rate-determining passive transport step across the basolateral goblet cell membrane (i.e. K⁺ channels), were estimated by means of current-fluctuation analysis of the K⁺ channel blockade by haemolymph-side Ba²⁺ ions. Ba²⁺ was equally effective with Cl^- or gluconate (Glu^-) as the principal ambient anion. The Ba²⁺-induced K⁺ channel conduction noise is reflected by a Lorentzian, or relaxation, noise component in the power spectrum of the K⁺ current fluctuations. A reduced Lorentzian plateau value, but an unchanged corner frequency, were observed when Cl^- was replaced by Glu^-. The results from the analysis of a two-state model of K⁺ channel block by Ba²⁺, with respect to the anion-replacement effects, suggest that the observed changes in K⁺ current and Lorentzian plateau value mirror a complex change of the underlying parameters: Cl^- omission reduces single channel current but increases channel density so that the product of single channel current and channel density is smaller in Glu^- than in Cl^-. It seems likely that basolateral K⁺ channels (1) are subject to anionic gating ligands, and (2) depend on anions with respect to the rate of K⁺ transfer through and open K⁺ channel.Abbreviations a.c. alternating current - single-channel conductance - E _K K⁺ Nernst potential - f frequency contained in current noise - f _c corner frequency - Glu^- gluconate - G _t transepithelial conductance - I _sc short-circuit current - I _K K⁺ current - I _K(max) maximal K⁺ current - i single-channel current - K _Ba barium inhibition constant - K _m Michaelis constant of saturating K⁺ current - k ₀₁ and k ₁₀ barium association and dissociation rate constant, respectively - M K⁺ channel density - S _f power density - S _o Lorentzian plateau value - P _o channel-open probability - P _K K⁺ permeability - V _sc cellular potential at short-circuit These results have already been presented in part, at the 1989 joint meeting of the German and Israel Physiological Societies in Jerusalem (Zeiske et al. 1990).     

Exocytotic release of secretory granules from endocrine cells in the midgut of insects

Summary Exocytotic release of the secretory granules of the endocrine cells in the midgut of a cockroach, Periplaneta americana, was studied by means of fixation with tannic acid in combination with glutaraldehyde and osmium tetroxide. A sequence of images indicative of exocytosis suggests the following steps in this process: (1) A delicate connection appears between the granule-limiting membrane and the plasma membrane. (2) The plasma membrane approaches the granule, forming a concave indentation. (3) The granule-limiting membrane fuses with the plasma membrane and opens to give rise to an omega profile. (4) The granule content is voided into extracellular space. Exocytosis occurs not only at the base of the cell but occasionally at its side facing adjacent cells. (5) The exocytotic invagination after release becomes smaller and narrower; sometimes a coated pit with bristles appears. Multiple exocytosis, and exocytosis in the endocrine cells of the nidus, i.e., the regenerative cell mass, are also described.     

Microprobe analysis of Na,K, Cl,P, S,Ca, Mg and H2O in frozen-hydrated sections of anterior caeca of the locust, Schistocerca gregaria

Electron probe X-ray microanalysis of frozen-hydrated sections was carried out for sodium, potassium, chlorine, calcium, magnesium, sulphur, phosphorus and water concentrations in the lumen and epithelial cells of freshly-fed adult female desert locusts, and in blood of fed and starved locusts.Sodium and chloride were found to be at a much lower level in the lumen and cells than potassium, and at a much higher level in the blood. The luminal folds were plugged with a dense organic matrix, presumed to be polyanionic glycosaminoglycans, which appeared to restrict access of charged moieties of the absorptive sites. The data were consistent with a model of caecal fluid absorption in which a passive flux of potassium from lumen to blood, possibly assisted by an active absorption of chloride, drives fluid into the blood. Unlike the case of the vertebrate intestine, active absorption of sodium from the lumen would not contribute significantly to the fluid transport in vivo.     

Microbial Metabolite Signaling Is Required for Systemic Iron Homeostasis

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Mutual interplay between phytopathogenic powdery mildew fungi and other microorganisms

Powdery mildew is a common and widespread plant disease of considerable agronomic relevance. It is caused by obligate biotrophic fungal pathogens which, in most cases, epiphytically colonize aboveground plant tissues. The disease has been typically studied as a binary interaction of the fungal pathogen with its plant hosts, neglecting, for the most part, the mutual interplay with the wealth of other microorganisms residing in the phyllo- and/or rhizosphere and roots. However, the establishment of powdery mildew disease can be impacted by the presence/absence of host-associated microbiota (epi- and endophytes) and, conversely, plant colonization by powdery mildew fungi might disturb indigenous microbial community structures. In addition, other (foliar) phytopathogens could interact with powdery mildews, and mycoparasites may affect the outcome of plant–powdery mildew interactions. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge regarding the intricate and multifaceted interplay of powdery mildew fungi, host plants and other microorganisms, and outline current gaps in our knowledge, thereby setting the basis for potential future research directions.     

Vast Differences in Strain-Level Diversity in the Gut Microbiota of Two Closely Related Honey Bee Species

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Classification of the Gut Microbiota of Patients in Intensive Care Units During Development of Sepsis and Septic Shock

The gut microbiota of intensive care unit (ICU) patients displays extreme dysbiosis associated with increased susceptibility to organ failure, sepsis, and septic shock. However, such dysbiosis is difficult to characterize owing to the high dimensional complexity of the gut microbiota. We tested whether the concept of enterotype can be applied to the gut microbiota of ICU patients to describe the dysbiosis. We collected 131 fecal samples from 64 ICU patients diagnosed with sepsis or septic shock and performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing to dissect their gut microbiota compositions. During the development of sepsis or septic shock and during various medical treatments, the ICU patients always exhibited two dysbiotic microbiota patterns, or ICU-enterotypes, which could not be explained by host properties such as age, sex, and body mass index, or external stressors such as infection site and antibiotic use. ICU-enterotype I (ICU E1) comprised predominantly Bacteroides and an unclassified genus of Enterobacteriaceae, while ICU-enterotype II (ICU E2) comprised predominantly Enterococcus. Among more critically ill patients with Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scores > 18, septic shock was more likely to occur with ICU E1 (P = 0.041). Additionally, ICU E1 was correlated with high serum lactate levels (P = 0.007). Therefore, different patterns of dysbiosis were correlated with different clinical outcomes, suggesting that ICU-enterotypes should be diagnosed as independent clinical indices. Thus, the microbial-based human index classifier we propose is precise and effective for timely monitoring of ICU-enterotypes of individual patients. This work is a first step toward precision medicine for septic patients based on their gut microbiota profiles.     

广叶绣球菌多糖对免疫低下小鼠肠道免疫功能的调节作用

通过研究广叶绣球菌多糖对免疫低下小鼠肠道菌群、细胞因子表达量及短链脂肪酸的影响,探究广叶绣球菌多糖的免疫作用机制。腹腔注射环磷酰胺构建免疫低下小鼠模型,将小鼠分为6组：正常对照组、模型组、广叶绣球菌多糖低、中、高剂量组以及阳性对照组,连续饲养30d后处死取样,HE染色观察小肠组织结构,酶联免疫吸附法测定小肠白细胞介素-6（IL-6）、IL-10、肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）、干扰素-γ（IFN-γ）的表达水平,高通量测序技术分析小鼠肠道菌群的变化,气-质联用（GC-MS）技术分析盲肠内容物短链脂肪酸（SCFAs）的含量。结果表明,广叶绣球菌多糖高剂量组可显著改善绒毛肿胀和变短现象,提高绒毛长度/隐窝深度的比值（V/C值）和小肠IL-6、IL-10、TNF-α、IFN-γ细胞因子含量（P<0.05或P<0.01）,提高拟杆菌属Bacteroides、拟普雷沃菌属Alloprevotella、丁酸弧菌属Butyrivibrio、Intestinimonas、链球菌属Streptococcus的相对丰度（P<0.05或P<0.01）;各剂量组均可提高盲肠内6种主要短链脂肪酸含量,差异达显著或极显著水平（P<0.05或P<0.01）。试验组与阳性对照组趋势一致。广叶绣球菌多糖可通过改善免疫低下小鼠的肠道粘膜形态,提高小肠细胞因子水平,调节肠道菌群结构,增加SCFAs产生菌的相对丰度,提高短链脂肪酸含量,调节免疫低下小鼠的肠道免疫功能。