Nejvíce citovaný článek - PubMed ID 24288368
External factors affecting composition of the human gut microbiota have attracted considerable attention in recent years. Among these factors, habitat sharing with other humans and companion animals, especially dogs, is considered crucial together with the presence of intestinal protists. The Czech Republic, known for one of the highest rates of dog ownership in Europe, provides an ideal setting for studying such relationships. Here, we investigated the impact of dog ownership and lifestyle factors (residing in cities versus villages) on the gut microbiota (specifically bacteriome). In addition, we also investigated the influence of the common gut protist Blastocystis sp. on the human gut microbiota. Fecal DNAs from 118 humans and 54 dogs were subject to 16S rRNA gene sequencing using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Greater microbial diversity was observed in humans than in dogs. Owning a dog had no significant effect on the alpha and beta diversity of the human microbiota, although some bacterial genera were enriched in dog owners. In relation to lifestyle, urban dwellers had higher levels of Akkermansia, while people living in villages had a more diverse gut microbiota. The presence of Blastocystis sp. in humans correlated with specific microbial patterns, indicating an important role for this micro-eukaryote in the gut ecosystem. These findings highlight the intricate relationship between specific factors and the gut microbiota composition and emphasize the need for more extensive research in this area.
- Klíčová slova
- Blastocystis sp, Dog ownership, Dogs, Gut microbiota, Humans, Lifestyle,
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
Microbial diversity plays a crucial role in litter decomposition. However, the relationships between microbial diversity and substrate successional stage are the drivers of this decomposition. In this study, we experimentally manipulated microbial diversity and succession in post-mining soil. We used leaf litter samples from two forests of a post-mining site near Sokolov, Czech Republic: one alder plantation and one mixed forest with birch aspen and willow. Litter from each site was decomposed in the field for 3 and 12 months. The litter was X-ray sterilized and part of the litter was kept unsterilized to produce inoculum. Leaf litter samples of two different ages (3 and 12 months) from each site were each inoculated with litter of two different ages (3 and 12 months), using less and more diluted inoculum, producing two levels of microbial diversity. In each of these eight treatments, the bacterial community was then characterized by amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and microbial respiration was used to assess the rate of decomposition. A significantly higher respiration (p < 0.05) was found for the litter inoculated with the higher level of microbial diversity. Higher respiration was also found for the younger litter compared to the older litter and both litter origins. This shows a reduction in microbial respiration with substrate age and inoculation diversity, suggesting that microbial diversity supports the decomposition of soil organic matter.
- Klíčová slova
- bacteria, decomposition of soil organic matter, fungi, microbial biomass, microbial diversity, succession,
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
INTRODUCTION: Revegetation of barren substrates is often determined by the composition and distance of the nearest plant community, serving as a source of colonizing propagules. Whether such dispersal effect can be observed during the development of soil microbial communities, is not clear. In this study, we aimed to elucidate which factors structure plant and soil bacterial and fungal communities during primary succession on a limestone quarry spoil heap, focusing on the effect of distance to the adjoining xerophilous grassland. METHODS: We established a grid of 35 plots covering three successional stages - initial barren substrate, early successional community and late successional grassland ecosystem, the latter serving as the primary source of soil colonization. On these plots, we performed vegetation surveys of plant community composition and collected soil cores to analyze soil chemical properties and bacterial and fungal community composition. RESULTS: The composition of early successional plant community was significantly affected by the proximity of the source late successional community, however, the effect weakened when the distance exceeded 20 m. Early successional microbial communities were structured mainly by the local plant community composition and soil chemical properties, with minimal contribution of the source community proximity. DISCUSSION: These results show that on small spatial scales, species migration is an important determinant of plant community composition during primary succession while the establishment of soil microbial communities is not limited by dispersal and is primarily driven by local biotic and abiotic conditions.
- Klíčová slova
- primary succession, soil bacterial community, soil fungal community, source habitat proximity, temperate grassland,
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
BACKGROUND: Grasslands provide fundamental ecosystem services that are supported by their plant diversity. However, the importance of plant taxonomic diversity for the diversity of other taxa in grasslands remains poorly understood. Here, we studied the associations between plant communities, soil chemistry and soil microbiome in a wooded meadow of Čertoryje (White Carpathians, Czech Republic), a European hotspot of plant species diversity. RESULTS: High plant diversity was associated with treeless grassland areas with high primary productivity and high contents of soil nitrogen and organic carbon. In contrast, low plant diversity occurred in grasslands near solitary trees and forest edges. Fungal communities differed between low-diversity and high-diversity grasslands more strongly than bacterial communities, while the difference in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) depended on their location in soil versus plant roots. Compared to grasslands with low plant diversity, high-diversity plant communities had a higher diversity of fungi including soil AMF, a different fungal and soil AMF community composition and higher bacterial and soil AMF biomass. Root AMF composition differed only slightly between grasslands with low and high plant diversity. Trees dominated the belowground plant community in low-diversity grasslands, which influenced microbial diversity and composition. CONCLUSIONS: The determinants of microbiome abundance and composition in grasslands are complex. Soil chemistry mainly influenced bacterial communities, while plant community type mainly affected fungal (including AMF) communities. Further studies on the functional roles of microbial communities are needed to understand plant-soil-microbe interactions and their involvement in grassland ecosystem services.
- Klíčová slova
- Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Bacterial 16S rRNA, Fungal ITS, Plant diversity, Semi-natural grassland,
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
Blomia tropicalis is an allergen-producing mite in the human environment in tropical regions. The microbiome of B. tropicalis was described using the barcode sequencing region of V4 16S rDNA and genome assemblage. Mixta mediterraneensis, previously isolated from human skin swabs, was identified as a B. tropicalis gut symbiont based on genome assembly. The microbiome contains two bacteria, Staphylococcus and M. mediterraneensis. The number of M. mediterraneensis 16S DNA copies was 106 per mite and 109 per feces in the rearing chamber based on qPCR quantification. The profile of this bacterium reached 50% of reads in the mite gut and feces. Genomic analyses revealed that the bacterium has several metabolic pathways that suggest metabolic cooperation with the mite host in vitamin and amino acid synthesis, nitrogen recycling, and antimicrobial defense. Lysozyme is present in the symbiotic bacterium but absent in the mite. The B. tropicalis microbiome contained Staphylococcus, which accelerates mite population growth. Mites can digest Staphylococcus by using specific enzymes with hydrolytic functions against bacterial cell walls (chitinases and cathepsin D), leading to endocytosis of bacteria and their degradation in lysosomes and phagosomes. Gene expression analysis of B. tropicalis indicated that phagocytosis was mediated by the PI3-kinase/Akt pathway interacting with the invasins produced by M. mediterraneensis. Moreover, the symbiont had metabolic pathways that allowed it to recycle the mite metabolic waste product guanine, known as a mite attractant. The mite host symbiont enhances mite aggregation in the feces, and the fecal-oral transmission route is excepted.
BACKGROUND: Below-ground microbes mediate key ecosystem processes and play a vital role in plant nutrition and health. Understanding the composition of the belowground microbiome is therefore important for maintaining ecosystem stability. The structure of the belowground microbiome is largely determined by individual plants, but it is not clear how far their influence extends and, conversely, what the influence of other plants growing nearby is. RESULTS: To determine the extent to which a focal host plant influences its soil and root microbiome when growing in a diverse community, we sampled the belowground bacterial and fungal communities of three plant species across a primary successional grassland sequence. The magnitude of the host effect on its belowground microbiome varied among microbial groups, soil and root habitats, and successional stages characterized by different levels of diversity of plant neighbours. Soil microbial communities were most strongly structured by sampling site and showed significant spatial patterns that were partially driven by soil chemistry. The influence of focal plant on soil microbiome was low but tended to increase with succession and increasing plant diversity. In contrast, root communities, particularly bacterial, were strongly structured by the focal plant species. Importantly, we also detected a significant effect of neighbouring plant community composition on bacteria and fungi associating with roots of the focal plants. The host influence on root microbiome varied across the successional grassland sequence and was highest in the most diverse site. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that in a species rich natural grassland, focal plant influence on the belowground microbiome depends on environmental context and is modulated by surrounding plant community. The influence of plant neighbours is particularly pronounced in root communities which may have multiple consequences for plant community productivity and stability, stressing the importance of plant diversity for ecosystem functioning.
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
BACKGROUND: Filarial infections have been understudied in bats. Likewise, little is known about pathogens associated with the reproductive system in chiropterans. While semen quality is critical for reproductive success, semen-borne pathogens may contribute to reproductive failure. METHODS: For the first time we performed electroejaculation and used computer-assisted semen analysis to provide baseline data on semen quality in a parti-coloured bat (Vespertilio murinus). RESULTS: The semen quality values measured in the V. murinus male appeared high (semen concentration = 305.4 × 106/mL; progressive and motile sperm = 46.58 and 60.27%, respectively). As an incidental finding, however, microfilariae were observed in the bat semen examined. At necropsy, eight adult filarial worms, later genetically identified as Litomosa sp., were found in the peritoneal cavity, close to the stomach, of the same particoloured bat male dying as a result of dysmicrobia and haemorrhagic gastroenteritis in a wildlife rescue centre. Histopathology revealed microfilariae in the testicular connective tissue and the epidydimal connective and fat tissues. A PCR assay targeting cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 confirmed that adult worms from the peritoneal cavity and testicular microfilariae were of the same filarial species. Mildly engorged argasid mite larvae attached to the bat skin proved negative for filarial DNA and the adult filarial worms proved negative for endosymbiont Wolbachia. CONCLUSION: While the standard filarial life cycle pattern involves a vertebrate definitive host and an invertebrate vector, represented by a blood-sucking ectoparasite, our finding suggests that microfilariae of this nematode species may also be semen-borne, with transmission intensity promoted by the polygynous mating system of vespertilionid bats in which an infected male mates with many females during the autumn swarming. Presence of microfilariae may be expected to decrease semen quality and transmission via this route may challenge the success of reproductive events in females after mating. Further investigation will be necessary to better understand the bat-parasite interaction and the life cycle of this filarial worm.
- Klíčová slova
- Chiroptera, Vespertilio murinus, Wolbachia, electroejaculation, filariasis, semen quality parameters, semen-borne pathogens,
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- kazuistiky MeSH
Soil microbial networks play a crucial role in plant community stability. However, we lack knowledge on the network topologies associated with stability and the pathways shaping these networks. In a 13-year mesocosm experiment, we determined links between plant community stability and soil microbial networks. We found that plant communities on soil abandoned from agricultural practices 60 years prior to the experiment promoted destabilising properties and were associated with coupled prokaryote and fungal soil networks. This coupling was mediated by strong interactions of plants and microbiota with soil resource cycling. Conversely, plant communities on natural grassland soil exhibited a high stability, which was associated with decoupled prokaryote and fungal soil networks. This decoupling was mediated by a large variety of past plant community pathways shaping especially fungal networks. We conclude that plant community stability is associated with a decoupling of prokaryote and fungal soil networks and mediated by plant-soil interactions.
- MeSH
- houby * metabolismus MeSH
- prokaryotické buňky MeSH
- půda * MeSH
- půdní mikrobiologie MeSH
- rostliny mikrobiologie MeSH
- zemědělství MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Názvy látek
- půda * MeSH
The decomposition of wood and detritus is challenging to most macroscopic organisms due to the recalcitrant nature of lignocellulose. Moreover, woody plants often protect themselves by synthesizing toxic or nocent compounds which infuse their tissues. Termites are essential wood decomposers in warmer terrestrial ecosystems and, as such, they have to cope with high concentrations of plant toxins in wood. In this paper, we evaluated the influence of wood age on the gut microbial (bacterial and fungal) communities associated with the termites Reticulitermes flavipes (Rhinotermitidae) (Kollar, 1837) and Microcerotermes biroi (Termitidae) (Desneux, 1905). We confirmed that the secondary metabolite concentration decreased with wood age. We identified a core microbial consortium maintained in the gut of R. flavipes and M. biroi and found that its diversity and composition were not altered by the wood age. Therefore, the concentration of secondary metabolites had no effect on the termite gut microbiome. We also found that both termite feeding activities and wood age affect the wood microbiome. Whether the increasing relative abundance of microbes with termite activities is beneficial to the termites is unknown and remains to be investigated. IMPORTANCE Termites can feed on wood thanks to their association with their gut microbes. However, the current understanding of termites as holobiont is limited. To our knowledge, no studies comprehensively reveal the influence of wood age on the termite-associated microbial assemblage. The wood of many tree species contains high concentrations of plant toxins that can vary with their age and may influence microbes. Here, we studied the impact of Norway spruce wood of varying ages and terpene concentrations on the microbial communities associated with the termites Reticulitermes flavipes (Rhinotermitidae) and Microcerotermes biroi (Termitidae). We performed a bacterial 16S rRNA and fungal ITS2 metabarcoding study to reveal the microbial communities associated with R. flavipes and M. biroi and their impact on shaping the wood microbiome. We noted that a stable core microbiome in the termites was unaltered by the feeding substrate, while termite activities influenced the wood microbiome, suggesting that plant secondary metabolites have negligible effects on the termite gut microbiome. Hence, our study shed new insights into the termite-associated microbial assemblage under the influence of varying amounts of terpene content in wood and provides a groundwork for future investigations for developing symbiont-mediated termite control measures.
- Klíčová slova
- Microcerotermes biroi, Reticulitermes flavipes, bacteria, core-microbiome, ectosymbionts, endosymbionts, fungi, plant defenses, terpenoids, wood-feeding termites,
- MeSH
- Bacteria genetika MeSH
- dřevo * metabolismus MeSH
- ekosystém MeSH
- Isoptera * mikrobiologie MeSH
- RNA ribozomální 16S genetika metabolismus MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Názvy látek
- RNA ribozomální 16S MeSH
Arthropods can host well-developed microbial communities, and such microbes can degrade pesticides and confer tolerance to most types of pests. Two cultures of the stored-product mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae, one with a symbiotic microbiome containing Wolbachia and the other without Wolbachia, were compared on pesticide residue (organophosphate: pirimiphos-methyl and pyrethroid: deltamethrin, deltamethrin + piperonyl butoxide)-containing diets. The microbiomes from mite bodies, mite feces and debris from the spent mite diet were analyzed using barcode sequencing. Pesticide tolerance was different among mite cultures and organophosphate and pyrethroid pesticides. The pesticide residues influenced the microbiome composition in both cultures but without any remarkable trend for mite cultures with and without Wolbachia. The most influenced bacterial taxa were Bartonella-like and Bacillus for both cultures and Wolbachia for the culture containing this symbiont. However, there was no direct evidence of any effect of Wolbachia on pesticide tolerance. The high pesticide concentration residues in diets reduced Wolbachia, Bartonella-like and Bacillus in mites of the symbiotic culture. This effect was low for Bartonella-like and Bacillus in the asymbiotic microbiome culture. The results showed that the microbiomes of mites are affected by pesticide residues in the diets, but the effect is not systemic. No actual detoxification effect by the microbiome was observed for the tested pesticides.
- Klíčová slova
- Antibiotics, Microbiome, Mold mite, Pesticide, Wolbachia,
- MeSH
- Acaridae * mikrobiologie MeSH
- Bacillus * genetika MeSH
- Bartonella * MeSH
- mikrobiota * MeSH
- pesticidy * farmakologie MeSH
- pyrethriny * farmakologie MeSH
- rezidua pesticidů * farmakologie MeSH
- roztoči * mikrobiologie MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Názvy látek
- decamethrin MeSH Prohlížeč
- pesticidy * MeSH
- pyrethriny * MeSH
- rezidua pesticidů * MeSH
