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Wu S, Qu Z, Chen D, Wu H, Caiyin Q, Qiao J. Deciphering and designing microbial communities by genome-scale metabolic modelling. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:1990-2000. [PMID: 38765607 PMCID: PMC11098673 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.04.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities are shaped by the complex interactions among organisms and the environment. Genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) can provide deeper insights into the complexity and ecological properties of various microbial communities, revealing their intricate interactions. Many researchers have modified GEMs for the microbial communities based on specific needs. Thus, GEMs need to be comprehensively summarized to better understand the trends in their development. In this review, we summarized the key developments in deciphering and designing microbial communities using different GEMs. A timeline of selected highlights in GEMs indicated that this area is evolving from the single-strain level to the microbial community level. Then, we outlined a framework for constructing GEMs of microbial communities. We also summarized the models and resources of static and dynamic community-level GEMs. We focused on the role of external environmental and intracellular resources in shaping the assembly of microbial communities. Finally, we discussed the key challenges and future directions of GEMs, focusing on the integration of GEMs with quorum sensing mechanisms, microbial ecology interactions, machine learning algorithms, and automatic modeling, all of which contribute to consortia-based applications in different fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengbo Wu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Zhejiang Shaoxing Research Institute of Tianjin University, Shaoxing 312300, China
| | - Zheping Qu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Danlei Chen
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Zhejiang Shaoxing Research Institute of Tianjin University, Shaoxing 312300, China
| | - Hao Wu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Zhejiang Shaoxing Research Institute of Tianjin University, Shaoxing 312300, China
| | - Qinggele Caiyin
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Zhejiang Shaoxing Research Institute of Tianjin University, Shaoxing 312300, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education (Tianjin University), Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Jianjun Qiao
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Zhejiang Shaoxing Research Institute of Tianjin University, Shaoxing 312300, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education (Tianjin University), Tianjin 300072, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
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2
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Muñoz-Cazalla A, de Quinto I, Álvaro-Llorente L, Rodríguez-Beltrán J, Herencias C. The role of bacterial metabolism in human gut colonization. Int Microbiol 2024:10.1007/s10123-024-00550-6. [PMID: 38937311 DOI: 10.1007/s10123-024-00550-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Can we anticipate the emergence of the next pandemic antibiotic-resistant bacterial clone? Addressing such an ambitious question relies on our ability to comprehensively understand the ecological and epidemiological factors fostering the evolution of high-risk clones. Among these factors, the ability to persistently colonize and thrive in the human gut is crucial for most high-risk clones. Nonetheless, the causes and mechanisms facilitating successful gut colonization remain obscure. Here, we review recent evidence that suggests that bacterial metabolism plays a pivotal role in determining the ability of high-risk clones to colonize the human gut. Subsequently, we outline novel approaches that enable the exploration of microbial metabolism at an unprecedented scale and level of detail. A thorough understanding of the constraints and opportunities of bacterial metabolism in gut colonization will foster our ability to predict the emergence of high-risk clones and take appropriate containment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ada Muñoz-Cazalla
- Servicio de Microbiología, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio de Quinto
- Servicio de Microbiología, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Álvaro-Llorente
- Servicio de Microbiología, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jerónimo Rodríguez-Beltrán
- Servicio de Microbiología, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas-CIBERINFEC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Cristina Herencias
- Servicio de Microbiología, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas-CIBERINFEC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
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3
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Kundu P, Beura S, Mondal S, Das AK, Ghosh A. Machine learning for the advancement of genome-scale metabolic modeling. Biotechnol Adv 2024:108400. [PMID: 38944218 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2024.108400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
Constraint-based modeling (CBM) has evolved as the core systems biology tool to map the interrelations between genotype, phenotype, and external environment. The recent advancement of high-throughput experimental approaches and multi-omics strategies has generated a plethora of new and precise information from wide-ranging biological domains. On the other hand, the continuously growing field of machine learning (ML) and its specialized branch of deep learning (DL) provide essential computational architectures for decoding complex and heterogeneous biological data. In recent years, both multi-omics and ML have assisted in the escalation of CBM. Condition-specific omics data, such as transcriptomics and proteomics, helped contextualize the model prediction while analyzing a particular phenotypic signature. At the same time, the advanced ML tools have eased the model reconstruction and analysis to increase the accuracy and prediction power. However, the development of these multi-disciplinary methodological frameworks mainly occurs independently, which limits the concatenation of biological knowledge from different domains. Hence, we have reviewed the potential of integrating multi-disciplinary tools and strategies from various fields, such as synthetic biology, CBM, omics, and ML, to explore the biochemical phenomenon beyond the conventional biological dogma. How the integrative knowledge of these intersected domains has improved bioengineering and biomedical applications has also been highlighted. We categorically explained the conventional genome-scale metabolic model (GEM) reconstruction tools and their improvement strategies through ML paradigms. Further, the crucial role of ML and DL in omics data restructuring for GEM development has also been briefly discussed. Finally, the case-study-based assessment of the state-of-the-art method for improving biomedical and metabolic engineering strategies has been elaborated. Therefore, this review demonstrates how integrating experimental and in silico strategies can help map the ever-expanding knowledge of biological systems driven by condition-specific cellular information. This multiview approach will elevate the application of ML-based CBM in the biomedical and bioengineering fields for the betterment of society and the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pritam Kundu
- School School of Energy Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India
| | - Satyajit Beura
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India
| | - Suman Mondal
- P.K. Sinha Centre for Bioenergy and Renewables, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India
| | - Amit Kumar Das
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India
| | - Amit Ghosh
- School School of Energy Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India; P.K. Sinha Centre for Bioenergy and Renewables, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India.
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4
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Choudhary R, Mahadevan R. DyMMM-LEAPS: An ML-based framework for modulating evenness and stability in synthetic microbial communities. Biophys J 2024:S0006-3495(24)00320-5. [PMID: 38733081 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
There have been a growing number of computational strategies to aid in the design of synthetic microbial consortia. A framework to identify regions in parametric space to maximize two essential properties, evenness and stability, is critical. In this study, we introduce DyMMM-LEAPS (dynamic multispecies metabolic modeling-locating evenness and stability in large parametric space), an extension of the DyMMM framework. Our method explores the large parametric space of genetic circuits in synthetic microbial communities to identify regions of evenness and stability. Due to the high computational costs of exhaustive sampling, we utilize adaptive sampling and surrogate modeling to reduce the number of simulations required to map the vast space. Our framework predicts engineering targets and computes their operating ranges to maximize the probability of the engineered community to have high evenness and stability. We demonstrate our approach by simulating five cocultures and one three-strain culture with different social interactions (cooperation, competition, and predation) employing quorum-sensing-based genetic circuits. In addition to guiding circuit tuning, our pipeline gives an opportunity for a detailed analysis of pockets of evenness and stability for the circuit under investigation, which can further help dissect the relationship between the two properties. DyMMM-LEAPS is easily customizable and can be expanded to a larger community with more complex interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruhi Choudhary
- University of Toronto, Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Radhakrishnan Mahadevan
- University of Toronto, Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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5
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Blasco T, Balzerani F, Valcárcel LV, Larrañaga P, Bielza C, Francino MP, Rufián-Henares JÁ, Planes FJ, Pérez-Burillo S. BN-BacArena: Bayesian network extension of BacArena for the dynamic simulation of microbial communities. Bioinformatics 2024; 40:btae266. [PMID: 38688585 PMCID: PMC11082422 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btae266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Simulating gut microbial dynamics is extremely challenging. Several computational tools, notably the widely used BacArena, enable modeling of dynamic changes in the microbial environment. These methods, however, do not comprehensively account for microbe-microbe stimulant or inhibitory effects or for nutrient-microbe inhibitory effects, typically observed in different compounds present in the daily diet. RESULTS Here, we present BN-BacArena, an extension of BacArena consisting on the incorporation within the native computational framework of a Bayesian network model that accounts for microbe-microbe and nutrient-microbe interactions. Using in vitro experiments, 16S rRNA gene sequencing data and nutritional composition of 55 foods, the output Bayesian network showed 23 significant nutrient-bacteria interactions, suggesting the importance of compounds such as polyols, ascorbic acid, polyphenols and other phytochemicals, and 40 bacteria-bacteria significant relationships. With test data, BN-BacArena demonstrates a statistically significant improvement over BacArena to predict the time-dependent relative abundance of bacterial species involved in the gut microbiota upon different nutritional interventions. As a result, BN-BacArena opens new avenues for the dynamic modeling and simulation of the human gut microbiota metabolism. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION MATLAB and R code are available in https://github.com/PlanesLab/BN-BacArena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Telmo Blasco
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Tecnun School of Engineering, University of Navarra, San Sebastián 20018, Spain
| | - Francesco Balzerani
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Tecnun School of Engineering, University of Navarra, San Sebastián 20018, Spain
| | - Luis V Valcárcel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Tecnun School of Engineering, University of Navarra, San Sebastián 20018, Spain
- Biomedical Engineering Center, Campus Universitario, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Navarra 31009, Spain
- Instituto de Ciencia de los Datos e Inteligencia Artificial (DATAI), Campus Universitario, University of Navarra, Pamplona 31080, Spain
| | - Pedro Larrañaga
- Departamento de Inteligencia Artificial, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid 28660, Spain
| | - Concha Bielza
- Departamento de Inteligencia Artificial, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid 28660, Spain
| | - María Pilar Francino
- Area de Genómica y Salud, Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana-Salud Pública, Valencia 46020, Spain
- CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - José Ángel Rufián-Henares
- Departamento de Nutrición y Bromatología, Centro de Investigación Biomédica, Instituto de Nutrición y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Universidad de Granada, Granada 18016, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs. GRANADA, Universidad de Granada, Granada 18012, Spain
| | - Francisco J Planes
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Tecnun School of Engineering, University of Navarra, San Sebastián 20018, Spain
- Biomedical Engineering Center, Campus Universitario, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Navarra 31009, Spain
- Instituto de Ciencia de los Datos e Inteligencia Artificial (DATAI), Campus Universitario, University of Navarra, Pamplona 31080, Spain
| | - Sergio Pérez-Burillo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Tecnun School of Engineering, University of Navarra, San Sebastián 20018, Spain
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6
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Wang J, Appidi MR, Burdick LH, Abraham PE, Hettich RL, Pelletier DA, Doktycz MJ. Formation of a constructed microbial community in a nutrient-rich environment indicates bacterial interspecific competition. mSystems 2024; 9:e0000624. [PMID: 38470038 PMCID: PMC11019790 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00006-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding the organizational principles of microbial communities is essential for interpreting ecosystem stability. Previous studies have investigated the formation of bacterial communities under nutrient-poor conditions or obligate relationships to observe cooperative interactions among different species. How microorganisms form stabilized communities in nutrient-rich environments, without obligate metabolic interdependency for growth, is still not fully disclosed. In this study, three bacterial strains isolated from the Populus deltoides rhizosphere were co-cultured in complex medium, and their growth behavior was tracked. These strains co-exist in mixed culture over serial transfer for multiple growth-dilution cycles. Competition is proposed as an emergent interaction relationship among the three bacteria based on their significantly decreased growth levels. The effects of different initial inoculum ratios, up to three orders of magnitude, on community structure were investigated, and the final compositions of the mixed communities with various starting composition indicate that community structure is not dependent on the initial inoculum ratio. Furthermore, the competitive relationships within the community were not altered by different initial inoculum ratios. The community structure was simulated by generalized Lotka-Volterra and dynamic flux balance analysis to provide mechanistic predictions into emergence of community structure under a nutrient-rich environment. Metaproteomic analyses provide support for the metabolite exchanges predicted by computational modeling and for highly altered physiologies when microbes are grown in co-culture. These findings broaden our understanding of bacterial community dynamics and metabolic diversity in higher-order interactions and could be significant in the management of rhizospheric bacterial communities. IMPORTANCE Bacteria naturally co-exist in multispecies consortia, and the ability to engineer such systems can be useful in biotechnology. Despite this, few studies have been performed to understand how bacteria form a stable community and interact with each other under nutrient-rich conditions. In this study, we investigated the effects of initial inoculum ratios on bacterial community structure using a complex medium and found that the initial inoculum ratio has no significant impact on resultant community structure or on interaction patterns between community members. The microbial population profiles were simulated using computational tools in order to understand intermicrobial relationships and to identify potential metabolic exchanges that occur during stabilization of the bacterial community. Studying microbial community assembly processes is essential for understanding fundamental ecological principles in microbial ecosystems and can be critical in predicting microbial community structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Wang
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Manasa R. Appidi
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
- UT-ORNL Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Leah H. Burdick
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Paul E. Abraham
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Robert L. Hettich
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Dale A. Pelletier
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Mitchel J. Doktycz
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
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7
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Harcombe WR. Taking mechanomicrobiology from local to global. Biophys J 2024; 123:929-930. [PMID: 38461369 PMCID: PMC11052689 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- W R Harcombe
- Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota.
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8
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Abs E, Chase AB, Manzoni S, Ciais P, Allison SD. Microbial evolution-An under-appreciated driver of soil carbon cycling. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17268. [PMID: 38562029 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Although substantial advances in predicting the ecological impacts of global change have been made, predictions of the evolutionary impacts have lagged behind. In soil ecosystems, microbes act as the primary energetic drivers of carbon cycling; however, microbes are also capable of evolving on timescales comparable to rates of global change. Given the importance of soil ecosystems in global carbon cycling, we assess the potential impact of microbial evolution on carbon-climate feedbacks in this system. We begin by reviewing the current state of knowledge concerning microbial evolution in response to global change and its specific effect on soil carbon dynamics. Through this integration, we synthesize a roadmap detailing how to integrate microbial evolution into ecosystem biogeochemical models. Specifically, we highlight the importance of microscale mechanistic soil carbon models, including choosing an appropriate evolutionary model (e.g., adaptive dynamics, quantitative genetics), validating model predictions with 'omics' and experimental data, scaling microbial adaptations to ecosystem level processes, and validating with ecosystem-scale measurements. The proposed steps will require significant investment of scientific resources and might require 10-20 years to be fully implemented. However, through the application of multi-scale integrated approaches, we will advance the integration of microbial evolution into predictive understanding of ecosystems, providing clarity on its role and impact within the broader context of environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsa Abs
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
- Laboratoire Des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Alexander B Chase
- Department of Earth Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Stefano Manzoni
- Department of Physical Geography and Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Philippe Ciais
- Laboratoire Des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Steven D Allison
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
- Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
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9
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Kuper TJ, Islam MM, Peirce-Cottler SM, Papin JA, Ford RM. Spatial transcriptome-guided multi-scale framework connects P. aeruginosa metabolic states to oxidative stress biofilm microenvironment. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1012031. [PMID: 38669236 PMCID: PMC11051585 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
With the generation of spatially resolved transcriptomics of microbial biofilms, computational tools can be used to integrate this data to elucidate the multi-scale mechanisms controlling heterogeneous biofilm metabolism. This work presents a Multi-scale model of Metabolism In Cellular Systems (MiMICS) which is a computational framework that couples a genome-scale metabolic network reconstruction (GENRE) with Hybrid Automata Library (HAL), an existing agent-based model and reaction-diffusion model platform. A key feature of MiMICS is the ability to incorporate multiple -omics-guided metabolic models, which can represent unique metabolic states that yield different metabolic parameter values passed to the extracellular models. We used MiMICS to simulate Pseudomonas aeruginosa regulation of denitrification and oxidative stress metabolism in hypoxic and nitric oxide (NO) biofilm microenvironments. Integration of P. aeruginosa PA14 biofilm spatial transcriptomic data into a P. aeruginosa PA14 GENRE generated four PA14 metabolic model states that were input into MiMICS. Characteristic of aerobic, denitrification, and oxidative stress metabolism, the four metabolic model states predicted different oxygen, nitrate, and NO exchange fluxes that were passed as inputs to update the agent's local metabolite concentrations in the extracellular reaction-diffusion model. Individual bacterial agents chose a PA14 metabolic model state based on a combination of stochastic rules, and agents sensing local oxygen and NO. Transcriptome-guided MiMICS predictions suggested microscale denitrification and oxidative stress metabolic heterogeneity emerged due to local variability in the NO biofilm microenvironment. MiMICS accurately predicted the biofilm's spatial relationships between denitrification, oxidative stress, and central carbon metabolism. As simulated cells responded to extracellular NO, MiMICS revealed dynamics of cell populations heterogeneously upregulating reactions in the denitrification pathway, which may function to maintain NO levels within non-toxic ranges. We demonstrated that MiMICS is a valuable computational tool to incorporate multiple -omics-guided metabolic models to mechanistically map heterogeneous microbial metabolic states to the biofilm microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy J. Kuper
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Mohammad Mazharul Islam
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Shayn M. Peirce-Cottler
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Jason A. Papin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Roseanne M Ford
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
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10
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Matzko RO, Konur S. BioNexusSentinel: a visual tool for bioregulatory network and cytohistological RNA-seq genetic expression profiling within the context of multicellular simulation research using ChatGPT-augmented software engineering. BIOINFORMATICS ADVANCES 2024; 4:vbae046. [PMID: 38571784 PMCID: PMC10990683 DOI: 10.1093/bioadv/vbae046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Summary Motivated by the need to parameterize ongoing multicellular simulation research, this paper documents the culmination of a ChatGPT augmented software engineering cycle resulting in an integrated visual platform for efficient cytohistological RNA-seq and bioregulatory network exploration. As contrasted to other systems and synthetic biology tools, BioNexusSentinel was developed de novo to uniquely combine these features. Reactome served as the primary source of remotely accessible biological models, accessible using BioNexusSentinel's novel search engine and REST API requests. The innovative, feature-rich gene expression profiler component was developed to enhance the exploratory experience for the researcher, culminating in the cytohistological RNA-seq explorer based on Human Protein Atlas data. A novel cytohistological classifier would be integrated via pre-processed analysis of the RNA-seq data via R statistical language, providing for useful analytical functionality and good performance for the end-user. Implications of the work span prospects for model orthogonality evaluations, gap identification in network modelling, prototyped automatic kinetics parameterization, and downstream simulation and cellular biological state analysis. This unique computational biology software engineering collaboration with generative natural language processing artificial intelligence was shown to enhance worker productivity, with evident benefits in terms of accelerating coding and machine-human intelligence transfer. Availability and implementation BioNexusSentinel project releases, with corresponding data and installation instructions, are available at https://github.com/RichardMatzko/BioNexusSentinel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Oliver Matzko
- School of Computer Science, AI and Electronics, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1HR, United Kingdom
| | - Savas Konur
- School of Computer Science, AI and Electronics, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1HR, United Kingdom
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11
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Versluis DM, Schoemaker R, Looijesteijn E, Geurts JM, Merks RM. 2'-Fucosyllactose helps butyrate producers outgrow competitors in infant gut microbiota simulations. iScience 2024; 27:109085. [PMID: 38380251 PMCID: PMC10877688 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
A reduced capacity for butyrate production by the early infant gut microbiota is associated with negative health effects, such as inflammation and the development of allergies. Here, we develop new hypotheses on the effect of the prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) or 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL) on butyrate production by the infant gut microbiota using a multiscale, spatiotemporal mathematical model of the infant gut. The model simulates a community of cross-feeding gut bacteria in metabolic detail. It represents the community as a grid of bacterial populations that exchange metabolites, using 20 different subspecies-specific metabolic networks taken from the AGORA database. The simulations predict that both GOS and 2'-FL promote the growth of Bifidobacterium, whereas butyrate producing bacteria are only consistently abundant in the presence of propane-1,2-diol, a product of 2'-FL metabolism. In absence of prebiotics or in presence of only GOS, however, Bacteroides vulgatus and Cutibacterium acnes outcompete butyrate producers by consuming intermediate metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M. Versluis
- Leiden University, Institute of Biology, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Roeland M.H. Merks
- Leiden University, Institute of Biology, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leiden University, Mathematical Institute, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands
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12
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Chew YH, Spill F. Discretised Flux Balance Analysis for Reaction-Diffusion Simulation of Single-Cell Metabolism. Bull Math Biol 2024; 86:39. [PMID: 38448618 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-024-01264-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Metabolites have to diffuse within the sub-cellular compartments they occupy to specific locations where enzymes are, so reactions could occur. Conventional flux balance analysis (FBA), a method based on linear programming that is commonly used to model metabolism, implicitly assumes that all enzymatic reactions are not diffusion-limited though that may not always be the case. In this work, we have developed a spatial method that implements FBA on a grid-based system, to enable the exploration of diffusion effects on metabolism. Specifically, the method discretises a living cell into a two-dimensional grid, represents the metabolic reactions in each grid element as well as the diffusion of metabolites to and from neighbouring elements, and simulates the system as a single linear programming problem. We varied the number of rows and columns in the grid to simulate different cell shapes, and the method was able to capture diffusion effects at different shapes. We then used the method to simulate heterogeneous enzyme distribution, which suggested a theoretical effect on variability at the population level. We propose the use of this method, and its future extensions, to explore how spatiotemporal organisation of sub-cellular compartments and the molecules within could affect cell behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Hoon Chew
- School of Mathematics, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, England, UK.
| | - Fabian Spill
- School of Mathematics, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, England, UK
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13
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Zulfiqar M, Singh V, Steinbeck C, Sorokina M. Review on computer-assisted biosynthetic capacities elucidation to assess metabolic interactions and communication within microbial communities. Crit Rev Microbiol 2024:1-40. [PMID: 38270170 DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2024.2306465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Microbial communities thrive through interactions and communication, which are challenging to study as most microorganisms are not cultivable. To address this challenge, researchers focus on the extracellular space where communication events occur. Exometabolomics and interactome analysis provide insights into the molecules involved in communication and the dynamics of their interactions. Advances in sequencing technologies and computational methods enable the reconstruction of taxonomic and functional profiles of microbial communities using high-throughput multi-omics data. Network-based approaches, including community flux balance analysis, aim to model molecular interactions within and between communities. Despite these advances, challenges remain in computer-assisted biosynthetic capacities elucidation, requiring continued innovation and collaboration among diverse scientists. This review provides insights into the current state and future directions of computer-assisted biosynthetic capacities elucidation in studying microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahnoor Zulfiqar
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Vinay Singh
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Christoph Steinbeck
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Maria Sorokina
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Research and Development, Pharmaceuticals, Bayer, Berlin, Germany
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14
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Joseph C, Zafeiropoulos H, Bernaerts K, Faust K. Predicting microbial interactions with approaches based on flux balance analysis: an evaluation. BMC Bioinformatics 2024; 25:36. [PMID: 38262921 PMCID: PMC10804772 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-024-05651-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Given a genome-scale metabolic model (GEM) of a microorganism and criteria for optimization, flux balance analysis (FBA) predicts the optimal growth rate and its corresponding flux distribution for a specific medium. FBA has been extended to microbial consortia and thus can be used to predict interactions by comparing in-silico growth rates for co- and monocultures. Although FBA-based methods for microbial interaction prediction are becoming popular, a systematic evaluation of their accuracy has not yet been performed. RESULTS Here, we evaluate the accuracy of FBA-based predictions of human and mouse gut bacterial interactions using growth data from the literature. For this, we collected 26 GEMs from the semi-curated AGORA database as well as four previously published curated GEMs. We tested the accuracy of three tools (COMETS, Microbiome Modeling Toolbox and MICOM) by comparing growth rates predicted in mono- and co-culture to growth rates extracted from the literature and also investigated the impact of different tool settings and media. We found that except for curated GEMs, predicted growth rates and their ratios (i.e. interaction strengths) do not correlate with growth rates and interaction strengths obtained from in vitro data. CONCLUSIONS Prediction of growth rates with FBA using semi-curated GEMs is currently not sufficiently accurate to predict interaction strengths reliably.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémence Joseph
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Molecular Bacteriology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Haris Zafeiropoulos
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Molecular Bacteriology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kristel Bernaerts
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Chemical and Biochemical Reactor Engineering and Safety (CREaS), KU Leuven, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Karoline Faust
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Molecular Bacteriology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
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15
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Ghadermazi P, Chan SHJ. Microbial interactions from a new perspective: reinforcement learning reveals new insights into microbiome evolution. Bioinformatics 2024; 40:btae003. [PMID: 38212999 PMCID: PMC10799744 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btae003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Microbes are essential part of all ecosystems, influencing material flow and shaping their surroundings. Metabolic modeling has been a useful tool and provided tremendous insights into microbial community metabolism. However, current methods based on flux balance analysis (FBA) usually fail to predict metabolic and regulatory strategies that lead to long-term survival and stability especially in heterogenous communities. RESULTS Here, we introduce a novel reinforcement learning algorithm, Self-Playing Microbes in Dynamic FBA, which treats microbial metabolism as a decision-making process, allowing individual microbial agents to evolve by learning and adapting metabolic strategies for enhanced long-term fitness. This algorithm predicts what microbial flux regulation policies will stabilize in the dynamic ecosystem of interest in the presence of other microbes with minimal reliance on predefined strategies. Throughout this article, we present several scenarios wherein our algorithm outperforms existing methods in reproducing outcomes, and we explore the biological significance of these predictions. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION The source code for this article is available at: https://github.com/chan-csu/SPAM-DFBA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parsa Ghadermazi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States
| | - Siu Hung Joshua Chan
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States
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16
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Cerk K, Ugalde‐Salas P, Nedjad CG, Lecomte M, Muller C, Sherman DJ, Hildebrand F, Labarthe S, Frioux C. Community-scale models of microbiomes: Articulating metabolic modelling and metagenome sequencing. Microb Biotechnol 2024; 17:e14396. [PMID: 38243750 PMCID: PMC10832553 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Building models is essential for understanding the functions and dynamics of microbial communities. Metabolic models built on genome-scale metabolic network reconstructions (GENREs) are especially relevant as a means to decipher the complex interactions occurring among species. Model reconstruction increasingly relies on metagenomics, which permits direct characterisation of naturally occurring communities that may contain organisms that cannot be isolated or cultured. In this review, we provide an overview of the field of metabolic modelling and its increasing reliance on and synergy with metagenomics and bioinformatics. We survey the means of assigning functions and reconstructing metabolic networks from (meta-)genomes, and present the variety and mathematical fundamentals of metabolic models that foster the understanding of microbial dynamics. We emphasise the characterisation of interactions and the scaling of model construction to large communities, two important bottlenecks in the applicability of these models. We give an overview of the current state of the art in metagenome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, focusing on the reconstruction of genomes in microbial communities. Metagenomics benefits tremendously from third-generation sequencing, and we discuss the opportunities of long-read sequencing, strain-level characterisation and eukaryotic metagenomics. We aim at providing algorithmic and mathematical support, together with tool and application resources, that permit bridging the gap between metagenomics and metabolic modelling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara Cerk
- Quadram Institute BioscienceNorwichUK
- Earlham InstituteNorwichUK
| | | | - Chabname Ghassemi Nedjad
- Inria, University of Bordeaux, INRAETalenceFrance
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, LaBRI, UMR 5800TalenceFrance
| | - Maxime Lecomte
- Inria, University of Bordeaux, INRAETalenceFrance
- INRAE STLO¸University of RennesRennesFrance
| | | | | | - Falk Hildebrand
- Quadram Institute BioscienceNorwichUK
- Earlham InstituteNorwichUK
| | - Simon Labarthe
- Inria, University of Bordeaux, INRAETalenceFrance
- INRAE, University of Bordeaux, BIOGECO, UMR 1202CestasFrance
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17
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Hayashi I, Fujita H, Toju H. Deterministic and stochastic processes generating alternative states of microbiomes. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:ycae007. [PMID: 38415200 PMCID: PMC10897905 DOI: 10.1093/ismeco/ycae007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
The structure of microbiomes is often classified into discrete or semi-discrete types potentially differing in community-scale functional profiles. Elucidating the mechanisms that generate such "alternative states" of microbiome compositions has been one of the major challenges in ecology and microbiology. In a time-series analysis of experimental microbiomes, we here show that both deterministic and stochastic ecological processes drive divergence of alternative microbiome states. We introduced species-rich soil-derived microbiomes into eight types of culture media with 48 replicates, monitoring shifts in community compositions at six time points (8 media × 48 replicates × 6 time points = 2304 community samples). We then confirmed that microbial community structure diverged into a few state types in each of the eight medium conditions as predicted in the presence of both deterministic and stochastic community processes. In other words, microbiome structure was differentiated into a small number of reproducible compositions under the same environment. This fact indicates not only the presence of selective forces leading to specific equilibria of community-scale resource use but also the influence of demographic drift (fluctuations) on the microbiome assembly. A reference-genome-based analysis further suggested that the observed alternative states differed in ecosystem-level functions. These findings will help us examine how microbiome structure and functions can be controlled by changing the "stability landscapes" of ecological community compositions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ibuki Hayashi
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu, Shiga 520-2133, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Fujita
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu, Shiga 520-2133, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Toju
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu, Shiga 520-2133, Japan
- Center for Living Systems Information Science (CeLiSIS), Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
- Laboratory of Ecosystems and Coevolution, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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18
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Burz SD, Causevic S, Dal Co A, Dmitrijeva M, Engel P, Garrido-Sanz D, Greub G, Hapfelmeier S, Hardt WD, Hatzimanikatis V, Heiman CM, Herzog MKM, Hockenberry A, Keel C, Keppler A, Lee SJ, Luneau J, Malfertheiner L, Mitri S, Ngyuen B, Oftadeh O, Pacheco AR, Peaudecerf F, Resch G, Ruscheweyh HJ, Sahin A, Sanders IR, Slack E, Sunagawa S, Tackmann J, Tecon R, Ugolini GS, Vacheron J, van der Meer JR, Vayena E, Vonaesch P, Vorholt JA. From microbiome composition to functional engineering, one step at a time. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2023; 87:e0006323. [PMID: 37947420 PMCID: PMC10732080 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00063-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYCommunities of microorganisms (microbiota) are present in all habitats on Earth and are relevant for agriculture, health, and climate. Deciphering the mechanisms that determine microbiota dynamics and functioning within the context of their respective environments or hosts (the microbiomes) is crucially important. However, the sheer taxonomic, metabolic, functional, and spatial complexity of most microbiomes poses substantial challenges to advancing our knowledge of these mechanisms. While nucleic acid sequencing technologies can chart microbiota composition with high precision, we mostly lack information about the functional roles and interactions of each strain present in a given microbiome. This limits our ability to predict microbiome function in natural habitats and, in the case of dysfunction or dysbiosis, to redirect microbiomes onto stable paths. Here, we will discuss a systematic approach (dubbed the N+1/N-1 concept) to enable step-by-step dissection of microbiome assembly and functioning, as well as intervention procedures to introduce or eliminate one particular microbial strain at a time. The N+1/N-1 concept is informed by natural invasion events and selects culturable, genetically accessible microbes with well-annotated genomes to chart their proliferation or decline within defined synthetic and/or complex natural microbiota. This approach enables harnessing classical microbiological and diversity approaches, as well as omics tools and mathematical modeling to decipher the mechanisms underlying N+1/N-1 microbiota outcomes. Application of this concept further provides stepping stones and benchmarks for microbiome structure and function analyses and more complex microbiome intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Dan Burz
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Senka Causevic
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alma Dal Co
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marija Dmitrijeva
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Engel
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Garrido-Sanz
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gilbert Greub
- Institut de microbiologie, CHUV University Hospital Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Clara Margot Heiman
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Christoph Keel
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Soon-Jae Lee
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Julien Luneau
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lukas Malfertheiner
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sara Mitri
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bidong Ngyuen
- Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Omid Oftadeh
- Laboratory of Computational Systems Biotechnology, EPF Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Grégory Resch
- Center for Research and Innovation in Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences, CHUV University Hospital Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Asli Sahin
- Laboratory of Computational Systems Biotechnology, EPF Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ian R. Sanders
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Emma Slack
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Janko Tackmann
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Robin Tecon
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Jordan Vacheron
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Evangelia Vayena
- Laboratory of Computational Systems Biotechnology, EPF Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pascale Vonaesch
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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19
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Sabach O, Buhnik-Rosenblau K, Kesten I, Freilich S, Freilich S, Kashi Y. The rise of the sourdough: Genome-scale metabolic modeling-based approach to design sourdough starter communities with tailored-made properties. Int J Food Microbiol 2023; 407:110402. [PMID: 37778079 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2023.110402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Sourdough starters harbor microbial consortia that benefit the final product's aroma and volume. The complex nature of these spontaneously developed communities raises challenges in predicting the fermentation phenotypes. Herein, we demonstrated for the first time in this field the potential of genome-scale metabolic modeling (GEMs) in the study of sourdough microbial communities. Broad in-silico modeling of microbial growth was applied on communities composed of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and different Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) species, which mainly predominate in sourdough starters. Simulations of model-represented communities associated specific bacterial compositions with sourdough phenotypes. Based on ranking the phenotypic performances of different combinations, Pediococcus spp. - Lb. sakei group members were predicted to have an optimal effect considering the increase in S. cerevisiae growth abilities and overall CO2 secretion rates. Flux Balance Analysis (FBA) revealed mutual relationships between the Pediococcus spp. - Lb. sakei group members and S. cerevisiae through bidirectional nutrient dependencies, and further underlined that these bacteria compete with the yeast over nutrients to a lesser extent than the rest LAB species. Volatile compounds (VOCs) production was further modeled, identifying species-specific and community-related VOCs production profiles. The in-silico models' predictions were validated by experimentally building synthetic sourdough communities and assessing the fermentation phenotypes. The Pediococcus spp. - Lb. sakei group was indeed associated with increased yeast cell counts and fermentation rates, demonstrating a 25 % increase in the average leavening rates during the first 10 fermentation hours compared to communities with a lower representation of these group members. Overall, these results provide a possible novel strategy towards the de-novo design of sourdough starter communities with tailored-made characterizations, including a shortened leavening period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omer Sabach
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | | | - Inbar Kesten
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Shay Freilich
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Shiri Freilich
- Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, Ramat Yishay, Israel
| | - Yechezkel Kashi
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion, Haifa, Israel.
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20
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Brunner JD, Gallegos-Graves LA, Kroeger ME. Inferring microbial interactions with their environment from genomic and metagenomic data. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011661. [PMID: 37956203 PMCID: PMC10681327 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities assemble through a complex set of interactions between microbes and their environment, and the resulting metabolic impact on the host ecosystem can be profound. Microbial activity is known to impact human health, plant growth, water quality, and soil carbon storage which has lead to the development of many approaches and products meant to manipulate the microbiome. In order to understand, predict, and improve microbial community engineering, genome-scale modeling techniques have been developed to translate genomic data into inferred microbial dynamics. However, these techniques rely heavily on simulation to draw conclusions which may vary with unknown parameters or initial conditions, rather than more robust qualitative analysis. To better understand microbial community dynamics using genome-scale modeling, we provide a tool to investigate the network of interactions between microbes and environmental metabolites over time. Using our previously developed algorithm for simulating microbial communities from genome-scale metabolic models (GSMs), we infer the set of microbe-metabolite interactions within a microbial community in a particular environment. Because these interactions depend on the available environmental metabolites, we refer to the networks that we infer as metabolically contextualized, and so name our tool MetConSIN: Metabolically Contextualized Species Interaction Networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D. Brunner
- Biosciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States of America
- Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States of America
| | | | - Marie E. Kroeger
- Biosciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States of America
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21
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Ponce-de-Leon M, Montagud A, Noël V, Meert A, Pradas G, Barillot E, Calzone L, Valencia A. PhysiBoSS 2.0: a sustainable integration of stochastic Boolean and agent-based modelling frameworks. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2023; 9:54. [PMID: 37903760 PMCID: PMC10616087 DOI: 10.1038/s41540-023-00314-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In systems biology, mathematical models and simulations play a crucial role in understanding complex biological systems. Different modelling frameworks are employed depending on the nature and scales of the system under study. For instance, signalling and regulatory networks can be simulated using Boolean modelling, whereas multicellular systems can be studied using agent-based modelling. Herein, we present PhysiBoSS 2.0, a hybrid agent-based modelling framework that allows simulating signalling and regulatory networks within individual cell agents. PhysiBoSS 2.0 is a redesign and reimplementation of PhysiBoSS 1.0 and was conceived as an add-on that expands the PhysiCell functionalities by enabling the simulation of intracellular cell signalling using MaBoSS while keeping a decoupled, maintainable and model-agnostic design. PhysiBoSS 2.0 also expands the set of functionalities offered to the users, including custom models and cell specifications, mechanistic submodels of substrate internalisation and detailed control over simulation parameters. Together with PhysiBoSS 2.0, we introduce PCTK, a Python package developed for handling and processing simulation outputs, and generating summary plots and 3D renders. PhysiBoSS 2.0 allows studying the interplay between the microenvironment, the signalling pathways that control cellular processes and population dynamics, suitable for modelling cancer. We show different approaches for integrating Boolean networks into multi-scale simulations using strategies to study the drug effects and synergies in models of cancer cell lines and validate them using experimental data. PhysiBoSS 2.0 is open-source and publicly available on GitHub with several repositories of accompanying interoperable tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Ponce-de-Leon
- Life Science, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), 1-3 Plaça Eusebi Güell, 08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Arnau Montagud
- Life Science, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), 1-3 Plaça Eusebi Güell, 08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vincent Noël
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, 26 rue d'Ulm, 75248, Paris, France
- INSERM U900, Paris, France
- Mines ParisTech, Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Annika Meert
- Life Science, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), 1-3 Plaça Eusebi Güell, 08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gerard Pradas
- Life Science, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), 1-3 Plaça Eusebi Güell, 08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Emmanuel Barillot
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, 26 rue d'Ulm, 75248, Paris, France
- INSERM U900, Paris, France
- Mines ParisTech, Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Laurence Calzone
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, 26 rue d'Ulm, 75248, Paris, France
- INSERM U900, Paris, France
- Mines ParisTech, Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Alfonso Valencia
- Life Science, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), 1-3 Plaça Eusebi Güell, 08034, Barcelona, Spain.
- ICREA, 23 Passeig Lluís Companys, 08010, Barcelona, Spain.
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22
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Bruggeman FJ, Teusink B, Steuer R. Trade-offs between the instantaneous growth rate and long-term fitness: Consequences for microbial physiology and predictive computational models. Bioessays 2023; 45:e2300015. [PMID: 37559168 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Microbial systems biology has made enormous advances in relating microbial physiology to the underlying biochemistry and molecular biology. By meticulously studying model microorganisms, in particular Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, increasingly comprehensive computational models predict metabolic fluxes, protein expression, and growth. The modeling rationale is that cells are constrained by a limited pool of resources that they allocate optimally to maximize fitness. As a consequence, the expression of particular proteins is at the expense of others, causing trade-offs between cellular objectives such as instantaneous growth, stress tolerance, and capacity to adapt to new environments. While current computational models are remarkably predictive for E. coli and S. cerevisiae when grown in laboratory environments, this may not hold for other growth conditions and other microorganisms. In this contribution, we therefore discuss the relationship between the instantaneous growth rate, limited resources, and long-term fitness. We discuss uses and limitations of current computational models, in particular for rapidly changing and adverse environments, and propose to classify microbial growth strategies based on Grimes's CSR framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank J Bruggeman
- Systems Biology Lab/AIMMS, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bas Teusink
- Systems Biology Lab/AIMMS, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ralf Steuer
- Institute for Theoretical Biology (ITB), Institute for Biology, Humboldt-University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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23
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Li P, Roos S, Luo H, Ji B, Nielsen J. Metabolic engineering of human gut microbiome: Recent developments and future perspectives. Metab Eng 2023; 79:1-13. [PMID: 37364774 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2023.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Many studies have demonstrated that the gut microbiota is associated with human health and disease. Manipulation of the gut microbiota, e.g. supplementation of probiotics, has been suggested to be feasible, but subject to limited therapeutic efficacy. To develop efficient microbiota-targeted diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, metabolic engineering has been applied to construct genetically modified probiotics and synthetic microbial consortia. This review mainly discusses commonly adopted strategies for metabolic engineering in the human gut microbiome, including the use of in silico, in vitro, or in vivo approaches for iterative design and construction of engineered probiotics or microbial consortia. Especially, we highlight how genome-scale metabolic models can be applied to advance our understanding of the gut microbiota. Also, we review the recent applications of metabolic engineering in gut microbiome studies as well as discuss important challenges and opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peishun Li
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE41296, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Stefan Roos
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Uppsala BioCenter, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE75007, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Hao Luo
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE41296, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Boyang Ji
- BioInnovation Institute, Ole Maaløes Vej 3, DK2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jens Nielsen
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE41296, Gothenburg, Sweden; BioInnovation Institute, Ole Maaløes Vej 3, DK2200, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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24
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Velasco-Álvarez JR, Torres y Torres N, Chairez I, Castrejón-Flores JL. Microbiome distribution modeling using gradient descent strategies for mock, in vitro and clinical community distributions. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0290082. [PMID: 37603566 PMCID: PMC10441787 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The human gut is home to a complex array of microorganisms interacting with the host and each other, forming a community known as the microbiome. This community has been linked to human health and disease, but understanding the underlying interactions is still challenging for researchers. Standard studies typically use high-throughput sequencing to analyze microbiome distribution in patient samples. Recent advancements in meta-omic data analysis have enabled computational modeling strategies to integrate this information into an in silico model. However, there is a need for improved parameter fitting and data integration features in microbial community modeling. This study proposes a novel alternative strategy utilizing state-of-the-art dynamic flux balance analysis (dFBA) to provide a simple protocol enabling accurate replication of abundance data composition through dynamic parameter estimation and integration of metagenomic data. We used a recurrent optimization algorithm to replicate community distributions from three different sources: mock, in vitro, and clinical microbiome. Our results show an accuracy of 98% and 96% when using in vitro and clinical bacterial abundance distributions, respectively. The proposed modeling scheme allowed us to observe the evolution of metabolites. It could provide a deeper understanding of metabolic interactions while taking advantage of the high contextualization features of GEM schemes to fit the study case. The proposed modeling scheme could improve the approach in cases where external factors determine specific bacterial distributions, such as drug intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Ricardo Velasco-Álvarez
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria de Biotecnología, Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Nimbe Torres y Torres
- Departamento de Fisiólogía de la Nutrición, Instituto Nacional Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición(“Salvador Zubirán”, Tlalpan, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Isaac Chairez
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria de Biotecnología, Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City, Mexico
- School of Engineering and Sciences, Técnologico de Monterrey-Campus Guadalajara, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - José Luis Castrejón-Flores
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria de Biotecnología, Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City, Mexico
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25
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Hessler T, Huddy RJ, Sachdeva R, Lei S, Harrison STL, Diamond S, Banfield JF. Vitamin interdependencies predicted by metagenomics-informed network analyses and validated in microbial community microcosms. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4768. [PMID: 37553333 PMCID: PMC10409787 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40360-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Metagenomic or metabarcoding data are often used to predict microbial interactions in complex communities, but these predictions are rarely explored experimentally. Here, we use an organism abundance correlation network to investigate factors that control community organization in mine tailings-derived laboratory microbial consortia grown under dozens of conditions. The network is overlaid with metagenomic information about functional capacities to generate testable hypotheses. We develop a metric to predict the importance of each node within its local network environments relative to correlated vitamin auxotrophs, and predict that a Variovorax species is a hub as an important source of thiamine. Quantification of thiamine during the growth of Variovorax in minimal media show high levels of thiamine production, up to 100 mg/L. A few of the correlated thiamine auxotrophs are predicted to produce pantothenate, which we show is required for growth of Variovorax, supporting that a subset of vitamin-dependent interactions are mutualistic. A Cryptococcus yeast produces the B-vitamin pantothenate, and co-culturing with Variovorax leads to a 90-130-fold fitness increase for both organisms. Our study demonstrates the predictive power of metagenome-informed, microbial consortia-based network analyses for identifying microbial interactions that underpin the structure and functioning of microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Hessler
- The Innovative Genomics Institute at the University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- The Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Robert J Huddy
- Reasearch Office, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Rohan Sachdeva
- The Innovative Genomics Institute at the University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- The Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Shufei Lei
- The Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Susan T L Harrison
- The Center for Bioprocess Engineering Research, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- The Future Water Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Spencer Diamond
- The Innovative Genomics Institute at the University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- The Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jillian F Banfield
- The Innovative Genomics Institute at the University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- The Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- The Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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26
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Scott WT, Benito-Vaquerizo S, Zimmermann J, Bajić D, Heinken A, Suarez-Diez M, Schaap PJ. A structured evaluation of genome-scale constraint-based modeling tools for microbial consortia. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011363. [PMID: 37578975 PMCID: PMC10449394 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Harnessing the power of microbial consortia is integral to a diverse range of sectors, from healthcare to biotechnology to environmental remediation. To fully realize this potential, it is critical to understand the mechanisms behind the interactions that structure microbial consortia and determine their functions. Constraint-based reconstruction and analysis (COBRA) approaches, employing genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs), have emerged as the state-of-the-art tool to simulate the behavior of microbial communities from their constituent genomes. In the last decade, many tools have been developed that use COBRA approaches to simulate multi-species consortia, under either steady-state, dynamic, or spatiotemporally varying scenarios. Yet, these tools have not been systematically evaluated regarding their software quality, most suitable application, and predictive power. Hence, it is uncertain which tools users should apply to their system and what are the most urgent directions that developers should take in the future to improve existing capacities. This study conducted a systematic evaluation of COBRA-based tools for microbial communities using datasets from two-member communities as test cases. First, we performed a qualitative assessment in which we evaluated 24 published tools based on a list of FAIR (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability) features essential for software quality. Next, we quantitatively tested the predictions in a subset of 14 of these tools against experimental data from three different case studies: a) syngas fermentation by C. autoethanogenum and C. kluyveri for the static tools, b) glucose/xylose fermentation with engineered E. coli and S. cerevisiae for the dynamic tools, and c) a Petri dish of E. coli and S. enterica for tools incorporating spatiotemporal variation. Our results show varying performance levels of the best qualitatively assessed tools when examining the different categories of tools. The differences in the mathematical formulation of the approaches and their relation to the results were also discussed. Ultimately, we provide recommendations for refining future GEM microbial modeling tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- William T. Scott
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- UNLOCK, Wageningen University & Research and Delft University of Technology, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Sara Benito-Vaquerizo
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Johannes Zimmermann
- Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Research Group Medical Systems Biology, Kiel, Germany
| | - Djordje Bajić
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Almut Heinken
- Inserm U1256 Laboratoire nGERE, Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Maria Suarez-Diez
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Peter J. Schaap
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- UNLOCK, Wageningen University & Research and Delft University of Technology, Wageningen, the Netherlands
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27
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Schäfer M, Pacheco AR, Künzler R, Bortfeld-Miller M, Field CM, Vayena E, Hatzimanikatis V, Vorholt JA. Metabolic interaction models recapitulate leaf microbiota ecology. Science 2023; 381:eadf5121. [PMID: 37410834 DOI: 10.1126/science.adf5121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Resource allocation affects the structure of microbiomes, including those associated with living hosts. Understanding the degree to which this dependency determines interspecies interactions may advance efforts to control host-microbiome relationships. We combined synthetic community experiments with computational models to predict interaction outcomes between plant-associated bacteria. We mapped the metabolic capabilities of 224 leaf isolates from Arabidopsis thaliana by assessing the growth of each strain on 45 environmentally relevant carbon sources in vitro. We used these data to build curated genome-scale metabolic models for all strains, which we combined to simulate >17,500 interactions. The models recapitulated outcomes observed in planta with >89% accuracy, highlighting the role of carbon utilization and the contributions of niche partitioning and cross-feeding in the assembly of leaf microbiomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Schäfer
- Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alan R Pacheco
- Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rahel Künzler
- Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Evangelia Vayena
- Laboratory of Computational Systems Biotechnology, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Vassily Hatzimanikatis
- Laboratory of Computational Systems Biotechnology, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
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28
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Skalnik CJ, Cheah SY, Yang MY, Wolff MB, Spangler RK, Talman L, Morrison JH, Peirce SM, Agmon E, Covert MW. Whole-cell modeling of E. coli colonies enables quantification of single-cell heterogeneity in antibiotic responses. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011232. [PMID: 37327241 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance poses mounting risks to human health, as current antibiotics are losing efficacy against increasingly resistant pathogenic bacteria. Of particular concern is the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains, which has been rapid among Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli. A large body of work has established that antibiotic resistance mechanisms depend on phenotypic heterogeneity, which may be mediated by stochastic expression of antibiotic resistance genes. The link between such molecular-level expression and the population levels that result is complex and multi-scale. Therefore, to better understand antibiotic resistance, what is needed are new mechanistic models that reflect single-cell phenotypic dynamics together with population-level heterogeneity, as an integrated whole. In this work, we sought to bridge single-cell and population-scale modeling by building upon our previous experience in "whole-cell" modeling, an approach which integrates mathematical and mechanistic descriptions of biological processes to recapitulate the experimentally observed behaviors of entire cells. To extend whole-cell modeling to the "whole-colony" scale, we embedded multiple instances of a whole-cell E. coli model within a model of a dynamic spatial environment, allowing us to run large, parallelized simulations on the cloud that contained all the molecular detail of the previous whole-cell model and many interactive effects of a colony growing in a shared environment. The resulting simulations were used to explore the response of E. coli to two antibiotics with different mechanisms of action, tetracycline and ampicillin, enabling us to identify sub-generationally-expressed genes, such as the beta-lactamase ampC, which contributed greatly to dramatic cellular differences in steady-state periplasmic ampicillin and was a significant factor in determining cell survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Skalnik
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Sean Y Cheah
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Mica Y Yang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Mattheus B Wolff
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Ryan K Spangler
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Lee Talman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Jerry H Morrison
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Shayn M Peirce
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Eran Agmon
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Markus W Covert
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
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29
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Maqsood Q, Sumrin A, Waseem R, Hussain M, Imtiaz M, Hussain N. Bioengineered microbial strains for detoxification of toxic environmental pollutants. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 227:115665. [PMID: 36907340 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Industrialization and other anthropogenic human activities pose significant environmental risks. As a result of the hazardous pollution, numerous living organisms may suffer from undesirable diseases in their separate habitats. Bioremediation, which removes hazardous compounds from the environment using microbes or their biologically active metabolites, is one of the most successful remediation approaches. According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), deteriorating soil health negatively impacts food security and human health over time. Soil health restoration is critical right now. Microbes are widely known for their importance in cleaning up toxins present in the soil, such as heavy metals, pesticides, and hydrocarbons. However, the capacity of local bacteria to digest these pollutants is limited, and the process takes an extended time. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs), whose altered metabolic pathways promote the over-secretion of a variety of proteins favorable to the bioremediation process, can speed up the breakdown process. The need for remediation procedures, degrees of soil contamination, site circumstances, broad adoptions, and numerous possibilities occurring at various cleaning stages are all studied in detail. Massive efforts to restore contaminated soils have also resulted in severe issues. This review focuses on the enzymatic removal of hazardous pollutants from the environment, such as pesticides, heavy metals, dyes, and plastics. There are also in-depth assessments of present discoveries and future plans for efficient enzymatic degradation of hazardous pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quratulain Maqsood
- Center for Applied Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Aleena Sumrin
- Center for Applied Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Rafia Waseem
- Center for Applied Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Maria Hussain
- Center for Applied Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Mehwish Imtiaz
- Center for Applied Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Nazim Hussain
- Center for Applied Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
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30
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Diaz-Colunga J, Skwara A, Gowda K, Diaz-Uriarte R, Tikhonov M, Bajic D, Sanchez A. Global epistasis on fitness landscapes. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220053. [PMID: 37004717 PMCID: PMC10067270 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Epistatic interactions between mutations add substantial complexity to adaptive landscapes and are often thought of as detrimental to our ability to predict evolution. Yet, patterns of global epistasis, in which the fitness effect of a mutation is well-predicted by the fitness of its genetic background, may actually be of help in our efforts to reconstruct fitness landscapes and infer adaptive trajectories. Microscopic interactions between mutations, or inherent nonlinearities in the fitness landscape, may cause global epistasis patterns to emerge. In this brief review, we provide a succinct overview of recent work about global epistasis, with an emphasis on building intuition about why it is often observed. To this end, we reconcile simple geometric reasoning with recent mathematical analyses, using these to explain why different mutations in an empirical landscape may exhibit different global epistasis patterns—ranging from diminishing to increasing returns. Finally, we highlight open questions and research directions. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Interdisciplinary approaches to predicting evolutionary biology’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Diaz-Colunga
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Abigail Skwara
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Karna Gowda
- Department of Ecology & Evolution & Center for the Physics of Evolving Systems, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Ramon Diaz-Uriarte
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid 28029, Spain
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas ‘Alberto Sols’ (UAM-CSIC), Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Mikhail Tikhonov
- Department of Physics, Washington University of St Louis, St Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Djordje Bajic
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Alvaro Sanchez
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Campus de Cantoblanco, CNB-CSIC, Madrid 28049, Spain
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31
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Abstract
Microbial consortia drive essential processes, ranging from nitrogen fixation in soils to providing metabolic breakdown products to animal hosts. However, it is challenging to translate the composition of microbial consortia into their emergent functional capacities. Community-scale metabolic models hold the potential to simulate the outputs of complex microbial communities in a given environmental context, but there is currently no consensus for what the fitness function of an entire community should look like in the presence of ecological interactions and whether community-wide growth operates close to a maximum. Transitioning from single-taxon genome-scale metabolic models to multitaxon models implies a growth cone without a well-specified growth rate solution for individual taxa. Here, we argue that dynamic approaches naturally overcome these limitations, but they come at the cost of being computationally expensive. Furthermore, we show how two nondynamic, steady-state approaches approximate dynamic trajectories and pick ecologically relevant solutions from the community growth cone with improved computational scalability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sean M. Gibbons
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Departments of Bioengineering and Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- eScience Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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32
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Pacheco AR, Vorholt JA. Resolving metabolic interaction mechanisms in plant microbiomes. Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 74:102317. [PMID: 37062173 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
Metabolic interactions are fundamental to the assembly and functioning of microbiomes, including those of plants. However, disentangling the molecular basis of these interactions and their specific roles remains a major challenge. Here, we review recent applications of experimental and computational methods toward the elucidation of metabolic interactions in plant-associated microbiomes. We highlight studies that span various scales of taxonomic and environmental complexity, including those that test interaction outcomes in vitro and in planta by deconstructing microbial communities. We also discuss how the continued integration of multiple methods can further reveal the general ecological characteristics of plant microbiomes, as well as provide strategies for applications in areas such as improved plant protection, bioremediation, and sustainable agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan R Pacheco
- Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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33
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Blonder BW, Gaüzère P, Iversen LL, Ke P, Petry WK, Ray CA, Salguero‐Gómez R, Sharpless W, Violle C. Predicting and controlling ecological communities via trait and environment mediated parameterizations of dynamical models. OIKOS 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Wong Blonder
- Dept of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, Univ. of California Berkeley CA USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State Univ. Tempe AZ USA
| | - Pierre Gaüzère
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State Univ. Tempe AZ USA
| | | | - Po‐Ju Ke
- Dept of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton Univ. Princeton NJ USA
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan Univ. Taipei Taiwan
| | - William K. Petry
- Dept of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton Univ. Princeton NJ USA
- Dept of Plant & Microbial Biology, North Carolina State Univ. Raleigh NC USA
| | - Courtenay A. Ray
- Dept of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, Univ. of California Berkeley CA USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State Univ. Tempe AZ USA
| | - Roberto Salguero‐Gómez
- Dept of Zoology, Univ. of Oxford Oxford UK
- Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research Rostock Germany
- Center of Excellence in Environmental Decisions, Univ. of Queensland Brisbane Australia
| | - William Sharpless
- Dept of Bioengineering, Univ. of California Berkeley Berkeley CA USA
| | - Cyrille Violle
- CEFE ‐ Univ Montpellier ‐ CNRS – EPHE – IRD Montpellier France
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34
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Microbiome engineering for bioremediation of emerging pollutants. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 2023; 46:323-339. [PMID: 36029349 DOI: 10.1007/s00449-022-02777-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Axenic microbial applications in the open environment are unrealistic and may not be always practically viable. Therefore, it is important to use mixed microbial cultures and their interactions with the microbiome in the targeted ecosystem to perform robust functions towards their sustainability in harsh environmental conditions. Emerging pollutants like phthalates and hydrocarbons that are toxic to several aquatic and terrestrial life forms in the water bodies and lands are an alarming situation. The present review explores the possibility of devising an inclusive eco-friendly strategy like microbiome engineering which proves to be a unique and crucial technology involving the power of microbial communication through quorum sensing. This review discusses the interspecies and intra-species communications between different microbial groups with their respective environments. Moreover, this review also envisages the efforts for designing the next level of microbiome-host engineering concept (MHEC). The focus of the review also extended toward using omics and metabolic network analysis-based tools for effective microbiome engineering. These approaches might be quite helpful in the future to understand such microbial interactions but it will be challenging to implement in the real environment to get the desired functions. Finally, the review also discusses multiple approaches for the bioremediation of toxic chemicals from the soil environment.
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35
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Liu YY. Controlling the human microbiome. Cell Syst 2023; 14:135-159. [PMID: 36796332 PMCID: PMC9942095 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2022.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
We coexist with a vast number of microbes that live in and on our bodies. Those microbes and their genes are collectively known as the human microbiome, which plays important roles in human physiology and diseases. We have acquired extensive knowledge of the organismal compositions and metabolic functions of the human microbiome. However, the ultimate proof of our understanding of the human microbiome is reflected in our ability to manipulate it for health benefits. To facilitate the rational design of microbiome-based therapies, there are many fundamental questions to be addressed at the systems level. Indeed, we need a deep understanding of the ecological dynamics associated with such a complex ecosystem before we rationally design control strategies. In light of this, this review discusses progress from various fields, e.g., community ecology, network science, and control theory, that are helping us make progress toward the ultimate goal of controlling the human microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang-Yu Liu
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Center for Artificial Intelligence and Modeling, The Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61801, USA.
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36
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Rios Garza D, Gonze D, Zafeiropoulos H, Liu B, Faust K. Metabolic models of human gut microbiota: Advances and challenges. Cell Syst 2023; 14:109-121. [PMID: 36796330 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2022.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
The human gut is a complex ecosystem consisting of hundreds of microbial species interacting with each other and with the human host. Mathematical models of the gut microbiome integrate our knowledge of this system and help to formulate hypotheses to explain observations. The generalized Lotka-Volterra model has been widely used for this purpose, but it does not describe interaction mechanisms and thus does not account for metabolic flexibility. Recently, models that explicitly describe gut microbial metabolite production and consumption have become popular. These models have been used to investigate the factors that shape gut microbial composition and to link specific gut microorganisms to changes in metabolite concentrations found in diseases. Here, we review how such models are built and what we have learned so far from their application to human gut microbiome data. In addition, we discuss current challenges of these models and how these can be addressed in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Rios Garza
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Molecular Bacteriology, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Didier Gonze
- Unité de Chronobiologie Théorique, Faculté des Sciences, CP 231, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bvd du Triomphe, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Haris Zafeiropoulos
- Biology Department, University of Crete, Heraklion 700 13, Greece; Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture (IMBBC), Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Former U.S. Base of Gournes P.O. Box 2214, 71003, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Bin Liu
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Molecular Bacteriology, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Karoline Faust
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Molecular Bacteriology, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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Hu H, Wang M, Huang Y, Xu Z, Xu P, Nie Y, Tang H. Guided by the principles of microbiome engineering: Accomplishments and perspectives for environmental use. MLIFE 2022; 1:382-398. [PMID: 38818482 PMCID: PMC10989833 DOI: 10.1002/mlf2.12043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Although the accomplishments of microbiome engineering highlight its significance for the targeted manipulation of microbial communities, knowledge and technical gaps still limit the applications of microbiome engineering in biotechnology, especially for environmental use. Addressing the environmental challenges of refractory pollutants and fluctuating environmental conditions requires an adequate understanding of the theoretical achievements and practical applications of microbiome engineering. Here, we review recent cutting-edge studies on microbiome engineering strategies and their classical applications in bioremediation. Moreover, a framework is summarized for combining both top-down and bottom-up approaches in microbiome engineering toward improved applications. A strategy to engineer microbiomes for environmental use, which avoids the build-up of toxic intermediates that pose a risk to human health, is suggested. We anticipate that the highlighted framework and strategy will be beneficial for engineering microbiomes to address difficult environmental challenges such as degrading multiple refractory pollutants and sustain the performance of engineered microbiomes in situ with indigenous microorganisms under fluctuating conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, and School of Life Sciences & BiotechnologyShanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Miaoxiao Wang
- Department of Environmental Systems ScienceETH ZürichZürichSwitzerland
- Department of Environmental MicrobiologyETH ZürichEawagSwitzerland
| | - Yiqun Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, and School of Life Sciences & BiotechnologyShanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Zhaoyong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, and School of Life Sciences & BiotechnologyShanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Ping Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, and School of Life Sciences & BiotechnologyShanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Yong Nie
- College of EngineeringPeking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Hongzhi Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, and School of Life Sciences & BiotechnologyShanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghaiChina
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Moon TS. SynMADE: synthetic microbiota across diverse ecosystems. Trends Biotechnol 2022; 40:1405-1414. [PMID: 36117027 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2022.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The past two decades have witnessed rapid advances in engineering individual microbial strains to produce biochemicals and biomaterials. However, engineering microbial consortia has been relatively slow. Using systems and synthetic biology approaches, researchers have been developing tools for engineering complex microbiota. In this opinion article, I discuss future directions and visions regarding developing microbiota as a biomanufacturing host. Specifically, I propose that we can develop the soil microbial community itself as a huge bioreactor. Ultimately, researchers will provide a generalizable system that enables us to understand a microbial consortium's interaction and metabolism on diverse temporal and spatial scales to address global problems, including the climate crisis, food inequality, the issue of waste, and sustainable bioproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae Seok Moon
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO 63130, USA.
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González-Plaza JJ, Furlan C, Rijavec T, Lapanje A, Barros R, Tamayo-Ramos JA, Suarez-Diez M. Advances in experimental and computational methodologies for the study of microbial-surface interactions at different omics levels. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1006946. [PMID: 36519168 PMCID: PMC9744117 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1006946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The study of the biological response of microbial cells interacting with natural and synthetic interfaces has acquired a new dimension with the development and constant progress of advanced omics technologies. New methods allow the isolation and analysis of nucleic acids, proteins and metabolites from complex samples, of interest in diverse research areas, such as materials sciences, biomedical sciences, forensic sciences, biotechnology and archeology, among others. The study of the bacterial recognition and response to surface contact or the diagnosis and evolution of ancient pathogens contained in archeological tissues require, in many cases, the availability of specialized methods and tools. The current review describes advances in in vitro and in silico approaches to tackle existing challenges (e.g., low-quality sample, low amount, presence of inhibitors, chelators, etc.) in the isolation of high-quality samples and in the analysis of microbial cells at genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic levels, when present in complex interfaces. From the experimental point of view, tailored manual and automatized methodologies, commercial and in-house developed protocols, are described. The computational level focuses on the discussion of novel tools and approaches designed to solve associated issues, such as sample contamination, low quality reads, low coverage, etc. Finally, approaches to obtain a systems level understanding of these complex interactions by integrating multi omics datasets are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan José González-Plaza
- International Research Centre in Critical Raw Materials-ICCRAM, University of Burgos, Burgos, Spain
| | - Cristina Furlan
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Tomaž Rijavec
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Aleš Lapanje
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Rocío Barros
- International Research Centre in Critical Raw Materials-ICCRAM, University of Burgos, Burgos, Spain
| | | | - Maria Suarez-Diez
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
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A Multiscale Spatiotemporal Model Including a Switch from Aerobic to Anaerobic Metabolism Reproduces Succession in the Early Infant Gut Microbiota. mSystems 2022; 7:e0044622. [PMID: 36047700 PMCID: PMC9600552 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00446-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The human intestinal microbiota starts to form immediately after birth and is important for the health of the host. During the first days, facultatively anaerobic bacterial species generally dominate, such as Enterobacteriaceae. These are succeeded by strictly anaerobic species, particularly Bifidobacterium species. An early transition to Bifidobacterium species is associated with health benefits; for example, Bifidobacterium species repress growth of pathogenic competitors and modulate the immune response. Succession to Bifidobacterium is thought to be due to consumption of intracolonic oxygen present in newborns by facultative anaerobes, including Enterobacteriaceae. To study if oxygen depletion suffices for the transition to Bifidobacterium species, here we introduced a multiscale mathematical model that considers metabolism, spatial bacterial population dynamics, and cross-feeding. Using publicly available metabolic network data from the AGORA collection, the model simulates ab initio the competition of strictly and facultatively anaerobic species in a gut-like environment under the influence of lactose and oxygen. The model predicts that individual differences in intracolonic oxygen in newborn infants can explain the observed individual variation in succession to anaerobic species, in particular Bifidobacterium species. Bifidobacterium species became dominant in the model by their use of the bifid shunt, which allows Bifidobacterium to switch to suboptimal yield metabolism with fast growth at high lactose concentrations, as predicted here using flux balance analysis. The computational model thus allows us to test the internal plausibility of hypotheses for bacterial colonization and succession in the infant colon. IMPORTANCE The composition of the infant microbiota has a great impact on infant health, but its controlling factors are still incompletely understood. The frequently dominant anaerobic Bifidobacterium species benefit health, e.g., they can keep harmful competitors under control and modulate the intestinal immune response. Controlling factors could include nutritional composition and intestinal mucus composition, as well as environmental factors, such as antibiotics. We introduce a modeling framework of a metabolically realistic intestinal microbial ecology in which hypothetical scenarios can be tested and compared. We present simulations that suggest that greater levels of intraintestinal oxygenation more strongly delay the dominance of Bifidobacterium species, explaining the observed variety of microbial composition and demonstrating the use of the model for hypothesis generation. The framework allowed us to test a variety of controlling factors, including intestinal mixing and transit time. Future versions will also include detailed modeling of oligosaccharide and mucin metabolism.
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Calibrating spatiotemporal models of microbial communities to microscopy data: A review. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010533. [PMID: 36227846 PMCID: PMC9560168 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatiotemporal models that account for heterogeneity within microbial communities rely on single-cell data for calibration and validation. Such data, commonly collected via microscopy and flow cytometry, have been made more accessible by recent advances in microfluidics platforms and data processing pipelines. However, validating models against such data poses significant challenges. Validation practices vary widely between modelling studies; systematic and rigorous methods have not been widely adopted. Similar challenges are faced by the (macrobial) ecology community, in which systematic calibration approaches are often employed to improve quantitative predictions from computational models. Here, we review single-cell observation techniques that are being applied to study microbial communities and the calibration strategies that are being employed for accompanying spatiotemporal models. To facilitate future calibration efforts, we have compiled a list of summary statistics relevant for quantifying spatiotemporal patterns in microbial communities. Finally, we highlight some recently developed techniques that hold promise for improved model calibration, including algorithmic guidance of summary statistic selection and machine learning approaches for efficient model simulation.
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Aminian-Dehkordi J, Valiei A, Mofrad MRK. Emerging computational paradigms to address the complex role of gut microbial metabolism in cardiovascular diseases. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:987104. [PMID: 36299869 PMCID: PMC9589059 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.987104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The human gut microbiota and its associated perturbations are implicated in a variety of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). There is evidence that the structure and metabolic composition of the gut microbiome and some of its metabolites have mechanistic associations with several CVDs. Nevertheless, there is a need to unravel metabolic behavior and underlying mechanisms of microbiome-host interactions. This need is even more highlighted when considering that microbiome-secreted metabolites contributing to CVDs are the subject of intensive research to develop new prevention and therapeutic techniques. In addition to the application of high-throughput data used in microbiome-related studies, advanced computational tools enable us to integrate omics into different mathematical models, including constraint-based models, dynamic models, agent-based models, and machine learning tools, to build a holistic picture of metabolic pathological mechanisms. In this article, we aim to review and introduce state-of-the-art mathematical models and computational approaches addressing the link between the microbiome and CVDs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mohammad R. K. Mofrad
- Department of Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
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Howard-Varona C, Roux S, Bowen BP, Silva LP, Lau R, Schwenck SM, Schwartz S, Woyke T, Northen T, Sullivan MB, Floge SA. Protist impacts on marine cyanovirocell metabolism. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 2:94. [PMID: 37938263 PMCID: PMC9723779 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-022-00169-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
The fate of oceanic carbon and nutrients depends on interactions between viruses, prokaryotes, and unicellular eukaryotes (protists) in a highly interconnected planktonic food web. To date, few controlled mechanistic studies of these interactions exist, and where they do, they are largely pairwise, focusing either on viral infection (i.e., virocells) or protist predation. Here we studied population-level responses of Synechococcus cyanobacterial virocells (i.e., cyanovirocells) to the protist Oxyrrhis marina using transcriptomics, endo- and exo-metabolomics, photosynthetic efficiency measurements, and microscopy. Protist presence had no measurable impact on Synechococcus transcripts or endometabolites. The cyanovirocells alone had a smaller intracellular transcriptional and metabolic response than cyanovirocells co-cultured with protists, displaying known patterns of virus-mediated metabolic reprogramming while releasing diverse exometabolites during infection. When protists were added, several exometabolites disappeared, suggesting microbial consumption. In addition, the intracellular cyanovirocell impact was largest, with 4.5- and 10-fold more host transcripts and endometabolites, respectively, responding to protists, especially those involved in resource and energy production. Physiologically, photosynthetic efficiency also increased, and together with the transcriptomics and metabolomics findings suggest that cyanovirocell metabolic demand is highest when protists are present. These data illustrate cyanovirocell responses to protist presence that are not yet considered when linking microbial physiology to global-scale biogeochemical processes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Simon Roux
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- U.S. DOE Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Leslie P Silva
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Syft Technologies, Ltd, Christchurch, 8024, New Zealand
| | - Rebecca Lau
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sarah M Schwenck
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Microbial and Environmental Genomics, J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Samuel Schwartz
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, USA
| | - Tanja Woyke
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- U.S. DOE Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Trent Northen
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- U.S. DOE Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Matthew B Sullivan
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering, and Center of Microbiome Science, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Sheri A Floge
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, USA.
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A Computational Toolbox to Investigate the Metabolic Potential and Resource Allocation in Fission Yeast. mSystems 2022; 7:e0042322. [PMID: 35950759 PMCID: PMC9426579 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00423-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, is a popular eukaryal model organism for cell division and cell cycle studies. With this extensive knowledge of its cell and molecular biology, S. pombe also holds promise for use in metabolism research and industrial applications. However, unlike the baker's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a major workhorse in these areas, cell physiology and metabolism of S. pombe remain less explored. One way to advance understanding of organism-specific metabolism is construction of computational models and their use for hypothesis testing. To this end, we leverage existing knowledge of S. cerevisiae to generate a manually curated high-quality reconstruction of S. pombe's metabolic network, including a proteome-constrained version of the model. Using these models, we gain insights into the energy demands for growth, as well as ribosome kinetics in S. pombe. Furthermore, we predict proteome composition and identify growth-limiting constraints that determine optimal metabolic strategies under different glucose availability regimes and reproduce experimentally determined metabolic profiles. Notably, we find similarities in metabolic and proteome predictions of S. pombe with S. cerevisiae, which indicate that similar cellular resource constraints operate to dictate metabolic organization. With these cases, we show, on the one hand, how these models provide an efficient means to transfer metabolic knowledge from a well-studied to a lesser-studied organism, and on the other, how they can successfully be used to explore the metabolic behavior and the role of resource allocation in driving different strategies in fission yeast. IMPORTANCE Our understanding of microbial metabolism relies mostly on the knowledge we have obtained from a limited number of model organisms, and the diversity of metabolism beyond the handful of model species thus remains largely unexplored in mechanistic terms. Computational modeling of metabolic networks offers an attractive platform to bridge the knowledge gap and gain new insights into physiology of lesser-studied organisms. Here we showcase an example of successful knowledge transfer from the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to a popular model organism in molecular and cell biology, fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, using computational models.
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Zou A, Nadeau K, Xiong X, Wang PW, Copeland JK, Lee JY, Pierre JS, Ty M, Taj B, Brumell JH, Guttman DS, Sharif S, Korver D, Parkinson J. Systematic profiling of the chicken gut microbiome reveals dietary supplementation with antibiotics alters expression of multiple microbial pathways with minimal impact on community structure. MICROBIOME 2022; 10:127. [PMID: 35965349 PMCID: PMC9377095 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01319-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The emergence of antimicrobial resistance is a major threat to global health and has placed pressure on the livestock industry to eliminate the use of antibiotic growth promotants (AGPs) as feed additives. To mitigate their removal, efficacious alternatives are required. AGPs are thought to operate through modulating the gut microbiome to limit opportunities for colonization by pathogens, increase nutrient utilization, and reduce inflammation. However, little is known concerning the underlying mechanisms. Previous studies investigating the effects of AGPs on the poultry gut microbiome have largely focused on 16S rDNA surveys based on a single gastrointestinal (GI) site, diet, and/or timepoint, resulting in an inconsistent view of their impact on community composition. METHODS In this study, we perform a systematic investigation of both the composition and function of the chicken gut microbiome, in response to AGPs. Birds were raised under two different diets and AGP treatments, and 16S rDNA surveys applied to six GI sites sampled at three key timepoints of the poultry life cycle. Functional investigations were performed through metatranscriptomics analyses and metabolomics. RESULTS Our study reveals a more nuanced view of the impact of AGPs, dependent on age of bird, diet, and intestinal site sampled. Although AGPs have a limited impact on taxonomic abundances, they do appear to redefine influential taxa that may promote the exclusion of other taxa. Microbiome expression profiles further reveal a complex landscape in both the expression and taxonomic representation of multiple pathways including cell wall biogenesis, antimicrobial resistance, and several involved in energy, amino acid, and nucleotide metabolism. Many AGP-induced changes in metabolic enzyme expression likely serve to redirect metabolic flux with the potential to regulate bacterial growth or produce metabolites that impact the host. CONCLUSIONS As alternative feed additives are developed to mimic the action of AGPs, our study highlights the need to ensure such alternatives result in functional changes that are consistent with site-, age-, and diet-associated taxa. The genes and pathways identified in this study are therefore expected to drive future studies, applying tools such as community-based metabolic modeling, focusing on the mechanistic impact of different dietary regimes on the microbiome. Consequently, the data generated in this study will be crucial for the development of next-generation feed additives targeting gut health and poultry production. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Zou
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Center for Research and Learning, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4 Canada
| | - Kerry Nadeau
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB Canada
| | - Xuejian Xiong
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Center for Research and Learning, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4 Canada
| | - Pauline W. Wang
- Centre for the Analysis of Genome Evolution & Function, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St, Toronto, Ontario Canada
| | - Julia K. Copeland
- Centre for the Analysis of Genome Evolution & Function, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St, Toronto, Ontario Canada
| | - Jee Yeon Lee
- Centre for the Analysis of Genome Evolution & Function, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St, Toronto, Ontario Canada
| | - James St. Pierre
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Center for Research and Learning, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4 Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Maxine Ty
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Center for Research and Learning, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4 Canada
| | - Billy Taj
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Center for Research and Learning, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4 Canada
| | - John H. Brumell
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
- Program in Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Center for Research and Learning, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
- SickKids IBD Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Center for Research and Learning, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - David S. Guttman
- Centre for the Analysis of Genome Evolution & Function, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St, Toronto, Ontario Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Shayan Sharif
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON Canada
| | - Doug Korver
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB Canada
| | - John Parkinson
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Center for Research and Learning, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4 Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
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Modeling-Guided Amendments Lead to Enhanced Biodegradation in Soil. mSystems 2022; 7:e0016922. [PMID: 35913191 PMCID: PMC9426591 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00169-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Extensive use of agrochemicals is emerging as a serious environmental issue coming at the cost of the pollution of soil and water resources. Bioremediation techniques such as biostimulation are promising strategies used to remove pollutants from agricultural soils by supporting the indigenous microbial degraders. Though considered cost-effective and eco-friendly, the success rate of these strategies typically varies, and consequently, they are rarely integrated into commercial agricultural practices. In the current study, we applied metabolic-based community-modeling approaches for promoting realistic in terra solutions by simulation-based prioritization of alternative supplements as potential biostimulants, considering a collection of indigenous bacteria. Efficacy of biostimulants as enhancers of the indigenous degrader Paenarthrobacter was ranked through simulation and validated in pot experiments. A two-dimensional simulation matrix predicting the effect of different biostimulants on additional potential indigenous degraders (Pseudomonas, Clostridium, and Geobacter) was crossed with experimental observations. The overall ability of the models to predict the compounds that act as taxa-selective stimulants indicates that computational algorithms can guide the manipulation of the soil microbiome in situ and provides an additional step toward the educated design of biostimulation strategies. IMPORTANCE Providing the food requirements of a growing population comes at the cost of intensive use of agrochemicals, including pesticides. Native microbial soil communities are considered key players in the degradation of such exogenous substances. Manipulating microbial activity toward an optimized outcome in efficient biodegradation processes conveys a promise of maintaining intensive yet sustainable agriculture. Efficient strategies for harnessing the native microbiome require the development of approaches for processing big genomic data. Here, we pursued metabolic modeling for promoting realistic in terra solutions by simulation-based prioritization of alternative supplements as potential biostimulants, considering a collection of indigenous bacteria. Our genomic-based predictions point at strategies for optimizing biodegradation by the native community. Developing a systematic, data-guided understanding of metabolite-driven targeted enhancement of selected microorganisms lays the foundation for the design of ecologically sound methods for optimizing microbiome functioning.
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47
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van den Berg NI, Machado D, Santos S, Rocha I, Chacón J, Harcombe W, Mitri S, Patil KR. Ecological modelling approaches for predicting emergent properties in microbial communities. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:855-865. [PMID: 35577982 PMCID: PMC7613029 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01746-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies have brought forward the critical role of emergent properties in shaping microbial communities and the ecosystems of which they are a part. Emergent properties-patterns or functions that cannot be deduced linearly from the properties of the constituent parts-underlie important ecological characteristics such as resilience, niche expansion and spatial self-organization. While it is clear that emergent properties are a consequence of interactions within the community, their non-linear nature makes mathematical modelling imperative for establishing the quantitative link between community structure and function. As the need for conservation and rational modulation of microbial ecosystems is increasingly apparent, so is the consideration of the benefits and limitations of the approaches to model emergent properties. Here we review ecosystem modelling approaches from the viewpoint of emergent properties. We consider the scope, advantages and limitations of Lotka-Volterra, consumer-resource, trait-based, individual-based and genome-scale metabolic models. Future efforts in this research area would benefit from capitalizing on the complementarity between these approaches towards enabling rational modulation of complex microbial ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel Machado
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Sophia Santos
- Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Isabel Rocha
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Jeremy Chacón
- Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - William Harcombe
- Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Sara Mitri
- Département de Microbiologie Fondamentale, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kiran R Patil
- Medical Research Council Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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San León D, Nogales J. Toward merging bottom-up and top-down model-based designing of synthetic microbial communities. Curr Opin Microbiol 2022; 69:102169. [PMID: 35763963 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The increasing interest of microbial communities as promising biocatalyst is leading an intense effort into the development of computational frameworks assisting the analysis and rational engineering of such complex ecosystems. Here, we critically review the recent computational and model-guided advances in the system-level engineering of microbiome, including both the rational bottom-up and the evolutionary top-down approaches. Furthermore, we highlight modeling and computational methods supporting both engineering paradigms. Finally, we discuss the advantages of combining both strategies into a hybrid top-down/bottom-up (middle-out) strategy to engineer synthetic microbial communities with improved performance and scope.
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Affiliation(s)
- David San León
- Department of Systems Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CSIC, Madrid, Spain; Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics towards a Circular Economy-Spanish National Research Council (SusPlast-CSIC), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Juan Nogales
- Department of Systems Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CSIC, Madrid, Spain; Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics towards a Circular Economy-Spanish National Research Council (SusPlast-CSIC), Madrid, Spain.
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49
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Chakrawal A, Calabrese S, Herrmann AM, Manzoni S. Interacting Bioenergetic and Stoichiometric Controls on Microbial Growth. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:859063. [PMID: 35656001 PMCID: PMC9152356 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.859063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms function as open systems that exchange matter and energy with their surrounding environment. Even though mass (carbon and nutrients) and energy exchanges are tightly linked, there is a lack of integrated approaches that combine these fluxes and explore how they jointly impact microbial growth. Such links are essential to predicting how the growth rate of microorganisms varies, especially when the stoichiometry of carbon- (C) and nitrogen (N)-uptake is not balanced. Here, we present a theoretical framework to quantify the microbial growth rate for conditions of C-, N-, and energy-(co-) limitations. We use this framework to show how the C:N ratio and the degree of reduction of the organic matter (OM), which is also the electron donor, availability of electron acceptors (EAs), and the different sources of N together control the microbial growth rate under C, nutrient, and energy-limited conditions. We show that the growth rate peaks at intermediate values of the degree of reduction of OM under oxic and C-limited conditions, but not under N-limited conditions. Under oxic conditions and with N-poor OM, the growth rate is higher when the inorganic N (NInorg)-source is ammonium compared to nitrate due to the additional energetic cost involved in nitrate reduction. Under anoxic conditions, when nitrate is both EA and NInorg-source, the growth rates of denitrifiers and microbes performing the dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia (DNRA) are determined by both OM degree of reduction and nitrate-availability. Consistent with the data, DNRA is predicted to foster growth under extreme nitrate-limitation and with a reduced OM, whereas denitrifiers are favored as nitrate becomes more available and in the presence of oxidized OM. Furthermore, the growth rate is reduced when catabolism is coupled to low energy yielding EAs (e.g., sulfate) because of the low carbon use efficiency (CUE). However, the low CUE also decreases the nutrient demand for growth, thereby reducing N-limitation. We conclude that bioenergetics provides a useful conceptual framework for explaining growth rates under different metabolisms and multiple resource-limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjun Chakrawal
- Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.,Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Salvatore Calabrese
- Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Anke M Herrmann
- Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stefano Manzoni
- Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.,Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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Reyes-González D, De Luna-Valenciano H, Utrilla J, Sieber M, Peña-Miller R, Fuentes-Hernández A. Dynamic proteome allocation regulates the profile of interaction of auxotrophic bacterial consortia. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:212008. [PMID: 35592760 PMCID: PMC9066302 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.212008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Microbial ecosystems are composed of multiple species in constant metabolic exchange. A pervasive interaction in microbial communities is metabolic cross-feeding and occurs when the metabolic burden of producing costly metabolites is distributed between community members, in some cases for the benefit of all interacting partners. In particular, amino acid auxotrophies generate obligate metabolic inter-dependencies in mixed populations and have been shown to produce a dynamic profile of interaction that depends upon nutrient availability. However, identifying the key components that determine the pair-wise interaction profile remains a challenging problem, partly because metabolic exchange has consequences on multiple levels, from allocating proteomic resources at a cellular level to modulating the structure, function and stability of microbial communities. To evaluate how ppGpp-mediated resource allocation drives the population-level profile of interaction, here we postulate a multi-scale mathematical model that incorporates dynamics of proteome partition into a population dynamics model. We compare our computational results with experimental data obtained from co-cultures of auxotrophic Escherichia coli K12 strains under a range of amino acid concentrations and population structures. We conclude by arguing that the stringent response promotes cooperation by inhibiting the growth of fast-growing strains and promoting the synthesis of metabolites essential for other community members.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. Reyes-González
- Synthetic Biology Program, Center for Genomic Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de México, 62220 Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - H. De Luna-Valenciano
- Synthetic Biology Program, Center for Genomic Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de México, 62220 Cuernavaca, Mexico
- Systems Biology Program, Center for Genomic Sciences, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 62210 Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - J. Utrilla
- Synthetic Biology Program, Center for Genomic Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de México, 62220 Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - M. Sieber
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany
| | - R. Peña-Miller
- Systems Biology Program, Center for Genomic Sciences, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 62210 Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - A. Fuentes-Hernández
- Synthetic Biology Program, Center for Genomic Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de México, 62220 Cuernavaca, Mexico
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