A phylo-functional core of gut microbiota in healthy young Chinese cohorts across lifestyles,geography and ethnicities

Structural profiling of healthy human gut microbiota across heterogeneous populations is necessary for benchmarking and characterizing the potential ecosystem services provided by particular gut symbionts for maintaining the health of their hosts. Here we performed a large structural survey of fecal microbiota in 314 healthy young adults, covering 20 rural and urban cohorts from 7 ethnic groups living in 9 provinces throughout China. Canonical analysis of unweighted UniFrac principal coordinates clustered the subjects mainly by their ethnicities/geography and less so by lifestyles. Nine predominant genera, all of which are known to contain short-chain fatty acid producers, co-occurred in all individuals and collectively represented nearly half of the total sequences. Interestingly, species-level compositional profiles within these nine genera still discriminated the subjects according to their ethnicities/geography and lifestyles. Therefore, a phylogenetically diverse core of gut microbiota at the genus level may be commonly shared by distinctive healthy populations as functionally indispensable ecosystem service providers for the hosts.     

Comparative Genomic Analysis of 45 Type Strains of the Genus Bifidobacterium: A Snapshot of Its Genetic Diversity and Evolution

Bifidobacteria are well known for their human health-promoting effects and are therefore widely applied in the food industry. Members of the Bifidobacterium genus were first identified from the human gastrointestinal tract and were then found to be widely distributed across various ecological niches. Although the genetic diversity of Bifidobacterium has been determined based on several marker genes or a few genomes, the global diversity and evolution scenario for the entire genus remain unresolved. The present study comparatively analyzed the genomes of 45 type strains. We built a robust genealogy for Bifidobacterium based on 402 core genes and defined its root according to the phylogeny of the tree of bacteria. Our results support that all human isolates are of younger lineages, and although species isolated from bees dominate the more ancient lineages, the bee was not necessarily the original host for bifidobacteria. Moreover, the species isolated from different hosts are enriched with specific gene sets, suggesting host-specific adaptation. Notably, bee-specific genes are strongly associated with respiratory metabolism and are potential in helping those bacteria adapt to the oxygen-rich gut environment in bees. This study provides a snapshot of the genetic diversity and evolution of Bifidobacterium, paving the way for future studies on the taxonomy and functional genomics of the genus.     

蒙古国地区酸乳中乳酸菌的鉴定及耐酸菌株筛选

本研究对采集自蒙古国地区牧民家庭中17份发酵乳样品中的乳杆菌进行了分离、鉴定、生物学特性和耐酸性研究。共分离出45株乳杆菌。通过形态观察、生理生化试验、糖发酵试验及16S rDNA序列分析等研究将这些菌株鉴定为Lactobacillum fermentum(L. fermentum)31 株, L. helveticus 12株, L. plantarum 1株 和L. casei 1株, 所以认为L. fermentum是蒙古国地区传统酸乳中的优势菌群。经pH 为3.0 的人工胃液耐受性试验复筛后发现, 存活率在80%以上的仅1株, IMAU20085的存活率高达81.44%。菌株的分离鉴定以及高耐酸性菌株的筛选, 对我国益生菌资源的保藏和开发有重要的意义, 对我国未来益生菌的开发具有重要价值。     

肠道菌群与疾病关系的研究进展

人类肠道是一个多元化和充满活力的微生态系统,它的结构和功能成为目前生命科学和医学的研究热点。人类肠道拥有100万亿近1 000-1 150种细菌,在这个空间中它们与人类相互作用,对人类健康产生了巨大影响,其中有积极的作用,同时又伴随着潜在的威胁。本文详细论述了国内外关于肠道菌群与疾病关系的研究现状,益生菌对肠道菌群和健康的影响,以及研究肠道菌群的最新方法,为我国开展肠道微生物的研究提供部分参考,同时让人们更加了解肠道微生物对人类健康的影响。     

盐胁迫对藜麦种子萌发的影响研究

再生水资源可浇灌农田,但水中含有的阴离子可使土壤产生盐胁迫。为研究盐胁迫对藜麦(Chenopodium quinoa)种子萌发特性及胚根、胚芽生长的影响,该研究以6个藜麦品种(红藜麦、国红藜麦、台红藜麦、台紫红藜麦、黄藜麦、台黄红藜麦)为材料,分别以NaCl、Na₂SO₄、NaHCO₃和对照(CK)处理6个藜麦品种种子,测定其发芽率、胚根、胚芽抑制率等指标,运用均方差决策法对不同藜麦品种耐盐性进行综合评价,初步筛选出不同盐胁迫下耐盐性较强的品种。结果表明：(1)三种盐胁迫中,Na₂SO₄对种子萌发指标抑制作用最明显,6个藜麦品种的发芽率均相对较低,一直保持在5%以下,除黄藜麦、台黄红藜麦,其余4个品种的活力指数和生长速率均为0,除黄藜麦外,Na₂SO₄ 对其余5个藜麦品种的胚根、胚芽抑制率均达到100%;NaCl对种子萌发和生长的抑制作用较小,甚至可促进胚根和胚芽生长,国红藜麦和台黄红藜麦的生长速率在NaCl处理下始终高于对照,在9 ...     

锡林郭勒地区鲜马奶中细菌多样性分析

【背景】传统的酸马奶是由鲜马奶自然发酵而成,鲜马奶中的微生物在很大程度上决定了酸马奶的品质。然而,鲜马奶中的微生物组成却鲜有报道。【目的】解析鲜马奶中细菌多样性,比较分析鲜马奶和酸马奶中微生物的差异,探究马奶发酵过程中微生物的变化。【方法】采用PacBio SMRT测序技术,对6份采集自内蒙古锡林浩特牧区的鲜马奶中细菌16SrRNA基因序列全长进行测序,在种水平解析鲜马奶样品的细菌组成,并与前期同一地区的酸马奶菌群组成作对比。【结果】鲜马奶中包含大量的乳酸菌,主要为乳酸乳球菌(12.43%)、格氏乳球菌(3.53%)、肠膜明串珠菌(1.77%)等。此外还有部分板崎肠杆菌等条件致病菌的存在。马奶发酵前后菌群变化较大,鲜马奶中微生物多样性显著高于酸马奶,其中乳酸乳球菌和瑞士乳杆菌为鲜马奶和酸马奶的共有细菌。鲜马奶中的肠膜明串珠菌与乳酸乳球菌、格氏乳球菌呈正相关关系,与嗜水气单胞菌等有害菌为负相关关系,表明在马奶发酵过程中乳酸菌可能会抑制有害菌的生长。【结论】在马奶的发酵过程中,乳酸菌的大量生长抑制了马奶中有害菌生长,降低了马奶中微生物的多样性,提升了酸马奶的品质。为酸马奶的工业化生产提供了参考。     

Mutational analysis of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene in Chinese pediatric subjects with aminoglycoside-induced and non-syndromic hearing loss

Mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been found to be associated with sensorineural hearing loss. We report here a systematic mutational screening of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene in 128 Chinese pediatric subjects with sporadic aminoglycoside-induced and non-syndromic hearing loss. We show that aminoglycoside ototoxicity accounts for 48% of cases of hearing loss in this Chinese pediatric population. Of the known deafness-associated mutations in this gene, the incidence of the A1555G mutation is ~13% and ~2.9% in this Chinese pediatric population with aminoglycoside-induced and non-syndromic hearing loss, respectively. Furthermore, mutations at position 961 in the 12S rRNA gene account for ~1.7% and 4.4% of cases of aminoglycoside-induced and non-syndromic hearing loss in this Chinese clinical population, respectively. The T1095C mutation has been identified in one maternally inherited family with aminoglycoside-induced and non-syndromic hearing loss. However, the C1494T mutation was not detected in this clinical population. In addition, three variants, A827G, T1005C and A1116G, in the 12S rRNA gene, localized at highly conserved sites, may play a role in the pathogenesis of aminoglycoside ototoxicity. These data strongly suggest that the mitochondrial 12S rRNA is a hot-spot for deafness-associated mutations in the Chinese population.Z. Li and R. Li contributed equally to this work.     

Isolation and identification of lactic acid bacteria from Tarag in Eastern Inner Mongolia of China by 16S rRNA sequences and DGGE analysis

Tarag is a characteristic fermented dairy product with rich microflora (especially lactic acid bacteria), developed by the people of Mongolian nationality in Inner Mongolia of China and Mongolia throughout history. One hundred and ninety-eight samples of Tarag were collected from scattered households in Eastern Inner Mongolia, and total of 790 isolates of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated by traditional pure culture method. To identify these isolates and analyze their biodiversity, 16S rRNA gene sequences analysis and PCR-DGGE were performed respectively. The results showed that 790 isolates could be classified as 31 species and subspecies. Among these isolates, Lactobacillus helveticus (153 strains, about 19.4%), Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis (132 strains, about 16.7%) and Lactobacillus casei (106 strains, about 11.0%) were considered as the predominated species in the traditional fermented dairy products (Tarag) in Eastern Inner Mongolia. It was shown that the biodiversity of LAB in Tarag in Inner Mongolia was very abundant, and this traditional fermented dairy product could be considered as valuable resources for LAB isolation and probiotic selection.     

高密度发酵和真空冷冻干燥工艺对乳酸菌抗冷冻性的影响

经真空冷冻干燥得到的乳酸菌发酵剂存活率和后期的低温贮藏稳定性与诸多因素相关。本文综述了制备乳酸菌发酵剂过程中高密度发酵和真空冷冻干燥工艺的不同对乳酸菌抗冷冻性的影响,其中高密度发酵过程中的培养基组分、培养温度、发酵恒定pH、中和剂的选择、菌体收获时期和发酵结束后处理以及真空冷冻干燥过程中保护剂的添加、预冷冻处理等是影响乳酸菌抗冷冻性的重要因素。通过对这些相关因素的综述分析,为提高乳酸菌发酵剂的冻干存活率和后期的低温贮藏稳定性提供新的思路,且应用抗冷冻性强、活力高的乳酸菌发酵剂对有效提高乳制品的质量和企业的经济效益意义重大。     

长白山阔叶红松林主要树种凋落叶分解速率及其与叶性状的关系

阔叶红松林是我国东北地区地带性顶级森林群落,对维持区域生态系统稳定性具有重要作用。对阔叶红松林内主要树种凋落叶分解过程及影响因素进行研究,有助于增加长白山阔叶红松林生态系统的基础数据,为明确阔叶红松林的养分循环和物质流动提供依据。选取了长白山阔叶红松林内30个常见乔灌树种和16个凋落叶性状,采用野外分解袋法和室内样品分析等方法研究了长白山阔叶红松林内主要树种凋落叶分解速率及其与凋落叶性状的关系。1年的野外分解实验表明,30个树种的凋落叶重量损失率表现出较大差异。不同树种凋落叶的重量损失率在20.56%—92.11%之间,以红松(Pinus koraiensis)质量损失率最低,东北山梅花(Philadelphus schrenkii)质量损失率最高。不同生活型树种的凋落叶在质量损失率上存在显著差异,以灌木树种凋落叶的质量损失率最高,小乔木次之,乔木树种质量损失率最低。Olson模型拟合结果表明,不同树种凋落叶的分解速率k以红松最低,瘤枝卫矛(Euonymus verrucosus)最高,分别为0.24和1.64。不同树种分解50%和95%所需的时间分别在0.43—2.86年,1.83—...