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Colston SM, Barbato RA, Goodson MS, Karl JP, Kokoska RJ, Leary DD, Racicot K, Varaljay V, Soares JW. Current advances in microbiome sciences within the US Department of Defense-part 1: microbiomes for human health and performance. BMJ Mil Health 2024; 170:430-434. [PMID: 37321678 DOI: 10.1136/military-2022-002307] [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: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Microbiomes involve complex microbial communities where the microorganisms interact with one another as well as their associated hosts or environmental niches. The characterisation of these communities and associations have largely been achieved through 'omics' technologies, such as metagenomics, metaproteomics and metametabolomics, and model systems. Recent research in host-associated microbiomes have been aimed at understanding the roles microbes may play in host fitness or conversely how host activities/conditions may perturb the microbial community, which can further affect host health. These studies have led to the investigation of detection, intervention or modulation methods, which may serve to provide benefits to the host and advance our understanding of microbiome associations. With the clear implications on human health and disease, the US Department of Defense (DoD) has made microbiome research a priority, with the founding of the Tri-Service Microbiome Consortium (TSMC) to enhance collaboration, coordination and communication of microbiome research among DoD organisations and partners in academia and industry. DoD microbiome research focuses mainly on the following themes: (1) Human health and performance; (2) Environmental microbiomes; and (3) Enabling technologies. This review provides an update of current DoD microbiome research efforts centred on human health and performance and highlights innovative research being done in academia and industry that can be leveraged by the DoD. These topics were also communicated and further discussed during the fifth Annual TSMC Symposium. This paper forms part of the special issue of BMJ Military Health dedicated to Personalised Digital Technology for Mental Health in the Armed Forces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie M Colston
- Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - R A Barbato
- Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - M S Goodson
- 711th Human Performance Wing, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, USA
| | - J P Karl
- Military Nutrition Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, Massachusetts, USA
| | - R J Kokoska
- Physical Sciences Directorate, US Army Research Office, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - D D Leary
- Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - K Racicot
- Soldier Effectiveness Directorate, US Army Combat Capabilities and Development Command Soldier Center, Natick, Massachusetts, USA
| | - V Varaljay
- Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, USA
| | - J W Soares
- Soldier Effectiveness Directorate, US Army Combat Capabilities and Development Command Soldier Center, Natick, Massachusetts, USA
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2
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Feng J, Tang CM, Liu YF, Tang CH, Zhang JS. Enhancing high-efficiency breeding and microbial microdroplet cultivation techniques for Ganoderma lucidum. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 40:225. [PMID: 38822208 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-024-04011-0] [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: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Ganoderma lucidum is known for its bioactive compounds, such as polysaccharides and triterpenoids, which are crucial in food and medicine. However, liquid fermentation encounters challenges in terms of strain differentiation and stability. In this research, we employed atmospheric room temperature plasma mutation and a microbial microdroplet culture system to identify strains with enhanced biomass and triterpenoid production. The three mutant strains, YB05, YB09, and YB18, exhibited accelerated growth rates and antagonized the initial strain G0023 more effectively than the controls. Notably, YB18 displayed the fastest growth, with a 17.25% increase in colony radius. Shake flask cultivation demonstrated that, compared with the initial strain, YB05 and YB18 had 26.33% and 17.85% greater biomass, respectively. Moreover, the triterpenoid production of YB05 and YB18 surpassed that of the control by 32.10% and 15.72%, respectively, as confirmed by colorimetric detection. Importantly, these mutant strains remained stable for five generations. This study revealed a comprehensive screening system utilizing atmospheric pressure, room temperature plasma mutation technology and microbial droplet cultivation. This innovative approach offers a promising pathway for obtaining advantageous Ganoderma strains for liquid fermentation. The methodology of atmospheric room temperature plasma mutation and microbial microdroplet culture systems is detailed for better comprehension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Feng
- Institute of Edible Fungi, National Engineering Research Center of Edible Fungi, Key Laboratory of Edible Fungi Resources and Utilization (South), Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding of Shanghai, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture of P. R. China, Shanghai, 201403, China
| | - Chen-Min Tang
- Institute of Edible Fungi, National Engineering Research Center of Edible Fungi, Key Laboratory of Edible Fungi Resources and Utilization (South), Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding of Shanghai, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture of P. R. China, Shanghai, 201403, China
| | - Yan-Fang Liu
- Institute of Edible Fungi, National Engineering Research Center of Edible Fungi, Key Laboratory of Edible Fungi Resources and Utilization (South), Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding of Shanghai, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture of P. R. China, Shanghai, 201403, China
| | - Chuan-Hong Tang
- Institute of Edible Fungi, National Engineering Research Center of Edible Fungi, Key Laboratory of Edible Fungi Resources and Utilization (South), Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding of Shanghai, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture of P. R. China, Shanghai, 201403, China
| | - Jing-Song Zhang
- Institute of Edible Fungi, National Engineering Research Center of Edible Fungi, Key Laboratory of Edible Fungi Resources and Utilization (South), Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding of Shanghai, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture of P. R. China, Shanghai, 201403, China.
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3
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Nishikawa Y, Wagatsuma R, Tsukada Y, Chia-ling L, Chijiiwa R, Hosokawa M, Takeyama H. Large-scale single-virus genomics uncovers hidden diversity of river water viruses and diversified gene profiles. THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrae124. [PMID: 38976038 PMCID: PMC11283719 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae124] [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: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Environmental viruses (primarily bacteriophages) are widely recognized as playing an important role in ecosystem homeostasis through the infection of host cells. However, the majority of environmental viruses are still unknown as their mosaic structure and frequent mutations in their sequences hinder genome construction in current metagenomics. To enable the large-scale acquisition of environmental viral genomes, we developed a new single-viral genome sequencing platform with microfluidic-generated gel beads. Amplification of individual DNA viral genomes in mass-produced gel beads allows high-throughput genome sequencing compared to conventional single-virus genomics. The sequencing analysis of river water samples yielded 1431 diverse viral single-amplified genomes, whereas viral metagenomics recovered 100 viral metagenome-assembled genomes at the comparable sequence depth. The 99.5% of viral single-amplified genomes were determined novel at the species level, most of which could not be recovered by a metagenomic assembly. The large-scale acquisition of diverse viral genomes identified protein clusters commonly detected in different viral strains, allowing the gene transfer to be tracked. Moreover, comparative genomics within the same viral species revealed that the profiles of various methyltransferase subtypes were diverse, suggesting an enhanced escape from host bacterial internal defense mechanisms. Our use of gel bead-based single-virus genomics will contribute to exploring the nature of viruses by accelerating the accumulation of draft genomes of environmental DNA viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohei Nishikawa
- Computational Bio Big-Data Open Innovation Laboratory (CBBD-OIL), AIST-Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Tokyo 169-0082, Japan
- Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation, Waseda University, 513 Waseda Tsurumaki-cho, Tokyo 162–0041, Japan
| | - Ryota Wagatsuma
- Computational Bio Big-Data Open Innovation Laboratory (CBBD-OIL), AIST-Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Tokyo 169-0082, Japan
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Yuko Tsukada
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Lin Chia-ling
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Rieka Chijiiwa
- Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation, Waseda University, 513 Waseda Tsurumaki-cho, Tokyo 162–0041, Japan
| | - Masahito Hosokawa
- Computational Bio Big-Data Open Innovation Laboratory (CBBD-OIL), AIST-Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Tokyo 169-0082, Japan
- Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation, Waseda University, 513 Waseda Tsurumaki-cho, Tokyo 162–0041, Japan
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
- Institute for Advanced Research of Biosystem Dynamics, Waseda Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan
| | - Haruko Takeyama
- Computational Bio Big-Data Open Innovation Laboratory (CBBD-OIL), AIST-Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Tokyo 169-0082, Japan
- Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation, Waseda University, 513 Waseda Tsurumaki-cho, Tokyo 162–0041, Japan
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
- Institute for Advanced Research of Biosystem Dynamics, Waseda Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan
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4
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Sanders JG, Yan W, Mjungu D, Lonsdorf EV, Hart JA, Sanz CM, Morgan DB, Peeters M, Hahn BH, Moeller AH. A low-cost genomics workflow enables isolate screening and strain-level analyses within microbiomes. Genome Biol 2022; 23:212. [PMID: 36224660 PMCID: PMC9558970 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-022-02777-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Earth's environments harbor complex consortia of microbes that affect processes ranging from host health to biogeochemical cycles. Understanding their evolution and function is limited by an inability to isolate genomes in a high-throughput manner. Here, we present a workflow for bacterial whole-genome sequencing using open-source labware and the OpenTrons robotics platform, reducing costs to approximately $10 per genome. We assess genomic diversity within 45 gut bacterial species from wild-living chimpanzees and bonobos. We quantify intraspecific genomic diversity and reveal divergence of homologous plasmids between hosts. This enables population genetic analyses of bacterial strains not currently possible with metagenomic data alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon G Sanders
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
| | - Weiwei Yan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Deus Mjungu
- Gombe Stream Research Center, Kigoma, Tanzania
| | - Elizabeth V Lonsdorf
- Department of Psychology and Biological Foundations of Behavior Program, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - John A Hart
- Lukuru Wildlife Research Foundation, Tshuapa-Lomami-Lualaba Project, BP 2012, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Crickette M Sanz
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, Brazzaville, B.P. 14537, Republic of Congo
| | - David B Morgan
- Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Martine Peeters
- Recherche Translationnelle Appliquée Au VIH Et Aux Maladies Infectieuses, Institut de Recherche Pour Le Développement, University of Montpellier, INSERM, 34090, Montpellier, France
| | - Beatrice H Hahn
- Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Andrew H Moeller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
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5
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Ou Y, Cao S, Zhang J, Dong W, Yang Z, Yu Z. Droplet microfluidics on analysis of pathogenic microbes for wastewater-based epidemiology. Trends Analyt Chem 2021; 143:116333. [PMID: 34720276 PMCID: PMC8547957 DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2021.116333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Infectious diseases caused by pathogenic microbes have posed a major health issue for the public, such as the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic. In recent years, wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is emerging as an effective and unbiased method for monitoring public health. Despite its increasing importance, the advancement of WBE requires more competent and streamlined analytical platforms. Herein we discuss the interactions between WBE and droplet microfluidics, focusing on the analysis of pathogens in droplets, which is hard to be tackled by traditional analytical tools. We highlight research works from three aspects, namely, quantitation of pathogen biomarkers in droplets, single-cell analysis in droplets, and living cell biosensors in droplets, as well as providing future perspectives on the synergy between WBE and droplet microfluidics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangteng Ou
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, 30 Puzhu South Road, Nanjing, 211816, PR China
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Shixiang Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, 30 Puzhu South Road, Nanjing, 211816, PR China
| | - Jing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, 30 Puzhu South Road, Nanjing, 211816, PR China
| | - Weiliang Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, 30 Puzhu South Road, Nanjing, 211816, PR China
| | - Zhugen Yang
- School of Water, Energy and Environment, Cranfield University, Cranfield, MK43 0AL, UK
| | - Ziyi Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, 30 Puzhu South Road, Nanjing, 211816, PR China
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6
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Cahn JKB, Piel J. Anwendungen von Einzelzellmethoden in der mikrobiellen Naturstoffforschung. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201900532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jackson K. B. Cahn
- Institut für Mikrobiologie Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH) 8093 Zürich Schweiz
| | - Jörn Piel
- Institut für Mikrobiologie Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH) 8093 Zürich Schweiz
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7
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Yen S, Johnson JS. Metagenomics: a path to understanding the gut microbiome. Mamm Genome 2021; 32:282-296. [PMID: 34259891 PMCID: PMC8295064 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-021-09889-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The gut microbiome is a major determinant of host health, yet it is only in the last 2 decades that the advent of next-generation sequencing has enabled it to be studied at a genomic level. Shotgun sequencing is beginning to provide insight into the prokaryotic as well as eukaryotic and viral components of the gut community, revealing not just their taxonomy, but also the functions encoded by their collective metagenome. This revolution in understanding is being driven by continued development of sequencing technologies and in consequence necessitates reciprocal development of computational approaches that can adapt to the evolving nature of sequence datasets. In this review, we provide an overview of current bioinformatic strategies for handling metagenomic sequence data and discuss their strengths and limitations. We then go on to discuss key technological developments that have the potential to once again revolutionise the way we are able to view and hence understand the microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandi Yen
- Oxford Centre for Microbiome Studies, Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7FY, UK
| | - Jethro S Johnson
- Oxford Centre for Microbiome Studies, Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7FY, UK.
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8
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Recovering prokaryotic genomes from host-associated, short-read shotgun metagenomic sequencing data. Nat Protoc 2021; 16:2520-2541. [PMID: 33864056 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-021-00508-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Recovering genomes from shotgun metagenomic sequence data allows detailed taxonomic and functional characterization of individual species or strains in a microbial community. Retrieving these metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) involves seven stages. First, low-quality bases, along with adapter and host sequences, are removed. Second, overlapping sequences are assembled to create longer contiguous fragments. Third, these fragments are clustered based on sequence composition and abundance. Fourth, these sequence clusters, or bins, undergo rounds of quality assessment and refinement to yield MAGs. The optional fifth stage is dereplication of MAGs to select representatives. Next, each MAG is taxonomically classified. The optional seventh stage is assessing the fraction of diversity that has been recovered. The output of this protocol is draft genomes, which can provide invaluable clues about uncultured organisms. This protocol takes ~1 week to run, depending on computational resources available, and requires prior experience with high-performance computing, shell script programming and Python.
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9
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Cahn JKB, Piel J. Opening up the Single-Cell Toolbox for Microbial Natural Products Research. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:18412-18428. [PMID: 30748086 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201900532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The diverse microbes that produce natural products represent an important source of novel therapeutics, drug leads, and scientific tools. However, the vast majority have not been grown in axenic culture and are members of complex communities. While meta-'omic methods such as metagenomics, -transcriptomics, and -proteomics reveal collective molecular features of this "microbial dark matter", the study of individual microbiome members can be challenging. To address these limits, a number of techniques with single-bacterial resolution have been developed in the last decade and a half. While several of these are embraced by microbial ecologists, there has been less use by researchers interested in mining microbes for natural products. In this review, we discuss the available and emerging techniques for targeted single-cell analysis with a particular focus on applications to the discovery and study of natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackson K B Cahn
- Instit. of Microbiol., Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH), 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jörn Piel
- Instit. of Microbiol., Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH), 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
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10
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Sharma PV, Thaiss CA. Host-Microbiome Interactions in the Era of Single-Cell Biology. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:569070. [PMID: 33163417 PMCID: PMC7591464 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.569070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbes are the most prevalent form of life yet also the least well-understood in terms of their diversity. Due to a greater appreciation of their role in modulating host physiology, microbes have come to the forefront of biological investigation of human health and disease. Despite this, capturing the heterogeneity of microbes, and that of the host responses they induce, has been challenging due to the bulk methods of nucleic acid and cellular analysis. One of the greatest recent advancements in our understanding of complex organisms has happened in the field of single-cell analysis through genomics, transcriptomics, and spatial resolution. While significantly advancing our understanding of host biology, these techniques have only recently been applied to microbial systems to shed light on their diversity as well as interactions with host cells in both commensal and pathogenic contexts. In this review, we highlight emerging technologies that are poised to provide key insights into understanding how microbe heterogeneity can be studied. We then take a detailed look into how host single-cell analysis has uncovered the impact of microbes on host heterogeneity and the effect of host biology on microorganisms. Most of these insights would have been challenging, and in some cases impossible, without the advent of single-cell analysis, suggesting the importance of the single-cell paradigm for progressing the microbiology field forward through a host-microbiome perspective and applying these insights to better understand and treat human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christoph A. Thaiss
- Microbiology Department, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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11
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Yan Y, Nguyen LH, Franzosa EA, Huttenhower C. Strain-level epidemiology of microbial communities and the human microbiome. Genome Med 2020; 12:71. [PMID: 32791981 PMCID: PMC7427293 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-020-00765-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The biological importance and varied metabolic capabilities of specific microbial strains have long been established in the scientific community. Strains have, in the past, been largely defined and characterized based on microbial isolates. However, the emergence of new technologies and techniques has enabled assessments of their ecology and phenotypes within microbial communities and the human microbiome. While it is now more obvious how pathogenic strain variants are detrimental to human health, the consequences of subtle genetic variation in the microbiome have only recently been exposed. Here, we review the operational definitions of strains (e.g., genetic and structural variants) as they can now be identified from microbial communities using different high-throughput, often culture-independent techniques. We summarize the distribution and diversity of strains across the human body and their emerging links to health maintenance, disease risk and progression, and biochemical responses to perturbations, such as diet or drugs. We list methods for identifying, quantifying, and tracking strains, utilizing high-throughput sequencing along with other molecular and “culturomics” technologies. Finally, we discuss implications of population studies in bridging experimental gaps and leading to a better understanding of the health effects of strains in the human microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Yan
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Long H Nguyen
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Clinical and Translational Epidemiology Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eric A Franzosa
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Curtis Huttenhower
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. .,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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12
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High-throughput phenotyping of cell-to-cell interactions in gel microdroplet pico-cultures. Biotechniques 2020; 66:218-224. [PMID: 31050307 DOI: 10.2144/btn-2018-0124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbiomes exert significant influence on our planet's ecology. Elucidating the identities of individual microbes within these communities and how they interact is a vital research imperative. Using traditional plating and culturing methods, it is impractical to assess even a small fraction of the interactions that exist within microbial communities. To address this technology gap, we integrated gel microdroplet technology with microfluidics to generate millions of microdroplet cultures (MDs) that sequester individual cells for phenotyping MDs, facilitating rapid analysis and viable recovery using flow cytometry. Herein, we describe a validated high-throughput phenotyping pipeline that elucidates cell-to-cell interactions for millions of combinations of microorganisms. Through iterative co-culturing of an algae and a pool of environmentally sourced microbes, we successfully isolated bacteria that improved algal growth.
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13
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Li X, Zhang D, Ruan W, Liu W, Yin K, Tian T, Bi Y, Ruan Q, Zhao Y, Zhu Z, Yang C. Centrifugal-Driven Droplet Generation Method with Minimal Waste for Single-Cell Whole Genome Amplification. Anal Chem 2019; 91:13611-13619. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b02786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xingrui Li
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China
| | - Dongfeng Zhang
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China
| | - Weidong Ruan
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China
| | - Weizhi Liu
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China
| | - Kun Yin
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China
| | - Tian Tian
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China
| | - Yunpeng Bi
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China
| | - Qingyu Ruan
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China
| | - Yuan Zhao
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China
| | - Zhi Zhu
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China
| | - Chaoyong Yang
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, P. R. China
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14
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Huys GR, Raes J. Go with the flow or solitary confinement: a look inside the single-cell toolbox for isolation of rare and uncultured microbes. Curr Opin Microbiol 2018; 44:1-8. [PMID: 29908491 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2018.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
With the vast majority of the microbial world still considered unculturable or undiscovered, microbiologists not only require more fundamental insights concerning microbial growth requirements but also need to implement miniaturized, versatile and high-throughput technologies to upscale current microbial isolation strategies. In this respect, single-cell-based approaches are increasingly finding their way to the microbiology lab. A number of recent studies have demonstrated that analysis and separation of free microbial cells by flow-based sorting as well as physical stochastic confinement of individual cells in microenvironment compartments can facilitate the isolation of previously uncultured species and the discovery of novel microbial taxa. Still, while most of these methods give immediate access to downstream whole genome sequencing, upscaling to higher cell densities as required for metabolic readouts and preservation purposes can remain challenging. Provided that these and other technological challenges are addressed in future innovation rounds, integration of single-cell tools in commercially available benchtop instruments and service platforms is expected to trigger more targeted explorations in the microbial dark matter at a depth comparable to metagenomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geert Rb Huys
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; VIB, Center for Microbiology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jeroen Raes
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; VIB, Center for Microbiology, Leuven, Belgium.
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15
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The trajectory of microbial single-cell sequencing. Nat Methods 2017; 14:1045-1054. [DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.4469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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16
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Neuenschwander SM, Ghai R, Pernthaler J, Salcher MM. Microdiversification in genome-streamlined ubiquitous freshwater Actinobacteria. ISME JOURNAL 2017; 12:185-198. [PMID: 29027997 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2017.156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Revised: 04/03/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Actinobacteria of the acI lineage are the most abundant microbes in freshwater systems, but there are so far no pure living cultures of these organisms, possibly because of metabolic dependencies on other microbes. This, in turn, has hampered an in-depth assessment of the genomic basis for their success in the environment. Here we present genomes from 16 axenic cultures of acI Actinobacteria. The isolates were not only of minute cell size, but also among the most streamlined free-living microbes, with extremely small genome sizes (1.2-1.4 Mbp) and low genomic GC content. Genome reduction in these bacteria might have led to auxotrophy for various vitamins, amino acids and reduced sulphur sources, thus creating dependencies to co-occurring organisms (the 'Black Queen' hypothesis). Genome analyses, moreover, revealed a surprising degree of inter- and intraspecific diversity in metabolic pathways, especially of carbohydrate transport and metabolism, and mainly encoded in genomic islands. The striking genotype microdiversification of acI Actinobacteria might explain their global success in highly dynamic freshwater environments with complex seasonal patterns of allochthonous and autochthonous carbon sources. We propose a new order within Actinobacteria ('Candidatus Nanopelagicales') with two new genera ('Candidatus Nanopelagicus' and 'Candidatus Planktophila') and nine new species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan M Neuenschwander
- Limnological Station, Institute of Microbial and Plant Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rohit Ghai
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre CAS, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jakob Pernthaler
- Limnological Station, Institute of Microbial and Plant Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michaela M Salcher
- Limnological Station, Institute of Microbial and Plant Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre CAS, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
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17
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Abstract
Recent advances in genome sequencing of single microbial cells enable the assignment of functional roles to members of the human microbiome that cannot currently be cultured. This approach can reveal the genomic basis of phenotypic variation between closely related strains and can be applied to the targeted study of immunogenic bacteria in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C Tolonen
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.
| | - Ramnik J Xavier
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA. .,Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA. .,Gastrointestinal Unit and Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA. .,Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, MIT, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
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18
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Kang I, Kim S, Islam MR, Cho JC. The first complete genome sequences of the acI lineage, the most abundant freshwater Actinobacteria, obtained by whole-genome-amplification of dilution-to-extinction cultures. Sci Rep 2017; 7:42252. [PMID: 28186143 PMCID: PMC5301498 DOI: 10.1038/srep42252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The acI lineage of the phylum Actinobacteria is the most abundant bacterial group in most freshwater lakes. However, due to difficulties in laboratory cultivation, only two mixed cultures and some incomplete single-amplified or metagenome-derived genomes have been reported for the lineage. Here, we report the initial cultivation and complete genome sequences of four novel strains of the acI lineage from the tribes acI-A1, -A4, -A7, and -C1. The acI strains, initially isolated by dilution-to-extinction culturing, eventually failed to be maintained as axenic cultures. However, the first complete genomes of the acI lineage were successfully obtained from these initial cultures through whole genome amplification applied to more than hundreds of cultured acI cells. The genome sequences exhibited features of genome streamlining and showed that the strains are aerobic chemoheterotrophs sharing central metabolic pathways, with some differences among tribes that may underlie niche diversification within the acI lineage. Actinorhodopsin was found in all strains, but retinal biosynthesis was complete in only A1 and A4 tribes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilnam Kang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea
| | - Suhyun Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea
| | - Md Rashedul Islam
- Department of Biological Sciences, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea
| | - Jang-Cheon Cho
- Department of Biological Sciences, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea
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19
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Kim S, De Jonghe J, Kulesa AB, Feldman D, Vatanen T, Bhattacharyya RP, Berdy B, Gomez J, Nolan J, Epstein S, Blainey PC. High-throughput automated microfluidic sample preparation for accurate microbial genomics. Nat Commun 2017; 8:13919. [PMID: 28128213 PMCID: PMC5290157 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Low-cost shotgun DNA sequencing is transforming the microbial sciences. Sequencing instruments are so effective that sample preparation is now the key limiting factor. Here, we introduce a microfluidic sample preparation platform that integrates the key steps in cells to sequence library sample preparation for up to 96 samples and reduces DNA input requirements 100-fold while maintaining or improving data quality. The general-purpose microarchitecture we demonstrate supports workflows with arbitrary numbers of reaction and clean-up or capture steps. By reducing the sample quantity requirements, we enabled low-input (∼10,000 cells) whole-genome shotgun (WGS) sequencing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and soil micro-colonies with superior results. We also leveraged the enhanced throughput to sequence ∼400 clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa libraries and demonstrate excellent single-nucleotide polymorphism detection performance that explained phenotypically observed antibiotic resistance. Fully-integrated lab-on-chip sample preparation overcomes technical barriers to enable broader deployment of genomics across many basic research and translational applications. Shotgun DNA sequencing experiments for microbial genomic analysis are often impractical due to minimum sample input requirements. Here the authors develop a microfluidic sample preparation platform that reduces sample input requirements 100-fold and enables high throughput sequencing from low numbers of cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soohong Kim
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Joachim De Jonghe
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Anthony B Kulesa
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - David Feldman
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.,Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Tommi Vatanen
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.,Department of Computer Science, Aalto University School of Science, Espoo 02150, Finland
| | - Roby P Bhattacharyya
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.,Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA
| | - Brittany Berdy
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - James Gomez
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
| | - Jill Nolan
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
| | - Slava Epstein
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Paul C Blainey
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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20
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Ji P, Zhang Y, Wang J, Zhao F. MetaSort untangles metagenome assembly by reducing microbial community complexity. Nat Commun 2017; 8:14306. [PMID: 28112173 PMCID: PMC5264255 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Accepted: 12/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Most current approaches to analyse metagenomic data rely on reference genomes. Novel microbial communities extend far beyond the coverage of reference databases and de novo metagenome assembly from complex microbial communities remains a great challenge. Here we present a novel experimental and bioinformatic framework, metaSort, for effective construction of bacterial genomes from metagenomic samples. MetaSort provides a sorted mini-metagenome approach based on flow cytometry and single-cell sequencing methodologies, and employs new computational algorithms to efficiently recover high-quality genomes from the sorted mini-metagenome by the complementary of the original metagenome. Through extensive evaluations, we demonstrated that metaSort has an excellent and unbiased performance on genome recovery and assembly. Furthermore, we applied metaSort to an unexplored microflora colonized on the surface of marine kelp and successfully recovered 75 high-quality genomes at one time. This approach will greatly improve access to microbial genomes from complex or novel communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peifeng Ji
- Computational Genomics Lab, Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yanming Zhang
- Computational Genomics Lab, Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jinfeng Wang
- Computational Genomics Lab, Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Fangqing Zhao
- Computational Genomics Lab, Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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21
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Chung H, Lieberman TD, Vargas SO, Flett KB, McAdam AJ, Priebe GP, Kishony R. Global and local selection acting on the pathogen Stenotrophomonas maltophilia in the human lung. Nat Commun 2017; 8:14078. [PMID: 28102223 PMCID: PMC5253648 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 11/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial populations diversify during infection into distinct subpopulations that coexist within the human body. Yet, it is unknown to what extent subpopulations adapt to location-specific selective pressures as they migrate and evolve across space. Here we identify bacterial genes under local and global selection by testing for spatial co-occurrence of adaptive mutations. We sequence 552 genomes of the pathogen Stenotrophomonas maltophilia across 23 sites of the lungs from a patient with cystic fibrosis. We show that although genetically close isolates colocalize in space, distant lineages with distinct phenotypes separated by adaptive mutations spread throughout the lung, suggesting global selective pressures. Yet, for one gene (a distant homologue of the merC gene implicated in metal resistance), mutations arising independently in two lineages colocalize in space, providing evidence for location-specific selection. Our work presents a general framework for understanding how selection acts upon a pathogen that colonizes and evolves across the complex environment of the human body. The authors sequence the genomes of 552 bacterial isolates sampled across 23 sites of the lungs of a patient with cystic fibrosis, and identify bacterial genes under global and location-specific adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hattie Chung
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Tami D Lieberman
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Sara O Vargas
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Kelly B Flett
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Alexander J McAdam
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Gregory P Priebe
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.,Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Roy Kishony
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.,Faculty of Biology, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel.,Faculty of Computer Science, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
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22
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Kaminski TS, Scheler O, Garstecki P. Droplet microfluidics for microbiology: techniques, applications and challenges. LAB ON A CHIP 2016; 16:2168-87. [PMID: 27212581 DOI: 10.1039/c6lc00367b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 245] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Droplet microfluidics has rapidly emerged as one of the key technologies opening up new experimental possibilities in microbiology. The ability to generate, manipulate and monitor droplets carrying single cells or small populations of bacteria in a highly parallel and high throughput manner creates new approaches for solving problems in diagnostics and for research on bacterial evolution. This review presents applications of droplet microfluidics in various fields of microbiology: i) detection and identification of pathogens, ii) antibiotic susceptibility testing, iii) studies of microbial physiology and iv) biotechnological selection and improvement of strains. We also list the challenges in the dynamically developing field and new potential uses of droplets in microbiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz S Kaminski
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
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23
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Digital Droplet Multiple Displacement Amplification (ddMDA) for Whole Genome Sequencing of Limited DNA Samples. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0153699. [PMID: 27144304 PMCID: PMC4856258 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2015] [Accepted: 04/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple displacement amplification (MDA) is a widely used technique for amplification of DNA from samples containing limited amounts of DNA (e.g., uncultivable microbes or clinical samples) before whole genome sequencing. Despite its advantages of high yield and fidelity, it suffers from high amplification bias and non-specific amplification when amplifying sub-nanogram of template DNA. Here, we present a microfluidic digital droplet MDA (ddMDA) technique where partitioning of the template DNA into thousands of sub-nanoliter droplets, each containing a small number of DNA fragments, greatly reduces the competition among DNA fragments for primers and polymerase thereby greatly reducing amplification bias. Consequently, the ddMDA approach enabled a more uniform coverage of amplification over the entire length of the genome, with significantly lower bias and non-specific amplification than conventional MDA. For a sample containing 0.1 pg/μL of E. coli DNA (equivalent of ~3/1000 of an E. coli genome per droplet), ddMDA achieves a 65-fold increase in coverage in de novo assembly, and more than 20-fold increase in specificity (percentage of reads mapping to E. coli) compared to the conventional tube MDA. ddMDA offers a powerful method useful for many applications including medical diagnostics, forensics, and environmental microbiology.
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24
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Isolation and Cultivation of Anaerobes. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2016; 156:35-53. [DOI: 10.1007/10_2016_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
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25
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He J, Du S, Tan X, Arefin A, Han CS. Improved lysis of single bacterial cells by a modified alkaline-thermal shock procedure. Biotechniques 2016; 60:129-35. [PMID: 26956090 DOI: 10.2144/000114389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2015] [Accepted: 11/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-cell genomics (SCG) is a recently developed tool to study the genomes of unculturable bacterial species. SCG relies on multiple-strand displacement amplification (MDA), PCR, and next-generation sequencing (NGS); however, obtaining sufficient amounts of high-quality DNA from samples is a major challenge when performing this technique. Here we present an improved bacterial cell lysing procedure that combines incubation in an alkaline buffer with a thermal shock (freezing/heating) treatment to yield highly intact genomic DNA with high efficiency. This procedure is more efficient in lysing Bacillus subtilis and Synechocystis cells compared with two other frequently used lysis methods. Furthermore, 16S ribosomal RNA gene and overall genome recovery were found to be improved by this method using single cells from a Utah desert soil community or Escherichia coli single cells, respectively. The efficiency of genome recovery for E. coli single cells using our procedure is comparable with that of the REPLI-g Single Cell (sc) Kit, but our method is much more economical. By providing high-quality genome templates suitable for downstream applications, our procedure will be a promising improvement for SCG research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian He
- Center for Translational Medicine, Department of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning, China.,Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
| | - Shiyu Du
- Engineering Laboratory of Specialty Fibers and Nuclear Energy Materials, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaohua Tan
- Key Laboratory of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Molecular Pharmacology Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ayesha Arefin
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
| | - Cliff S Han
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
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26
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Gawad C, Koh W, Quake SR. Single-cell genome sequencing: current state of the science. Nat Rev Genet 2016; 17:175-88. [PMID: 26806412 DOI: 10.1038/nrg.2015.16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 862] [Impact Index Per Article: 107.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The field of single-cell genomics is advancing rapidly and is generating many new insights into complex biological systems, ranging from the diversity of microbial ecosystems to the genomics of human cancer. In this Review, we provide an overview of the current state of the field of single-cell genome sequencing. First, we focus on the technical challenges of making measurements that start from a single molecule of DNA, and then explore how some of these recent methodological advancements have enabled the discovery of unexpected new biology. Areas highlighted include the application of single-cell genomics to interrogate microbial dark matter and to evaluate the pathogenic roles of genetic mosaicism in multicellular organisms, with a focus on cancer. We then attempt to predict advances we expect to see in the next few years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Gawad
- Departments of Oncology and Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, USA
| | - Winston Koh
- Departments of Bioengineering and Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94304, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, California 94304, USA
| | - Stephen R Quake
- Departments of Bioengineering and Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94304, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, California 94304, USA
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27
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Monodisperse Picoliter Droplets for Low-Bias and Contamination-Free Reactions in Single-Cell Whole Genome Amplification. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0138733. [PMID: 26389587 PMCID: PMC4577099 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Whole genome amplification (WGA) is essential for obtaining genome sequences from single bacterial cells because the quantity of template DNA contained in a single cell is very low. Multiple displacement amplification (MDA), using Phi29 DNA polymerase and random primers, is the most widely used method for single-cell WGA. However, single-cell MDA usually results in uneven genome coverage because of amplification bias, background amplification of contaminating DNA, and formation of chimeras by linking of non-contiguous chromosomal regions. Here, we present a novel MDA method, termed droplet MDA, that minimizes amplification bias and amplification of contaminants by using picoliter-sized droplets for compartmentalized WGA reactions. Extracted DNA fragments from a lysed cell in MDA mixture are divided into 105 droplets (67 pL) within minutes via flow through simple microfluidic channels. Compartmentalized genome fragments can be individually amplified in these droplets without the risk of encounter with reagent-borne or environmental contaminants. Following quality assessment of WGA products from single Escherichia coli cells, we showed that droplet MDA minimized unexpected amplification and improved the percentage of genome recovery from 59% to 89%. Our results demonstrate that microfluidic-generated droplets show potential as an efficient tool for effective amplification of low-input DNA for single-cell genomics and greatly reduce the cost and labor investment required for determination of nearly complete genome sequences of uncultured bacteria from environmental samples.
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28
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Draft Genome Sequence of Thauera sp. Strain SWB20, Isolated from a Singapore Wastewater Treatment Facility Using Gel Microdroplets. GENOME ANNOUNCEMENTS 2015; 3:3/2/e00132-15. [PMID: 25792053 PMCID: PMC4395064 DOI: 10.1128/genomea.00132-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
We report here the genome sequence of Thauera sp. strain SWB20, isolated from a Singaporean wastewater treatment facility using gel microdroplets (GMDs) and single-cell genomics (SCG). This approach provided a single clonal microcolony that was sufficient to obtain a 4.9-Mbp genome assembly of an ecologically relevant Thauera species.
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29
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Greenblum S, Carr R, Borenstein E. Extensive strain-level copy-number variation across human gut microbiome species. Cell 2015; 160:583-594. [PMID: 25640238 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.12.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2014] [Revised: 10/30/2014] [Accepted: 12/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Within each bacterial species, different strains may vary in the set of genes they encode or in the copy number of these genes. Yet, taxonomic characterization of the human microbiota is often limited to the species level or to previously sequenced strains, and accordingly, the prevalence of intra-species variation, its functional role, and its relation to host health remain unclear. Here, we present a comprehensive large-scale analysis of intra-species copy-number variation in the gut microbiome, introducing a rigorous computational pipeline for detecting such variation directly from shotgun metagenomic data. We uncover a large set of variable genes in numerous species and demonstrate that this variation has significant functional and clinically relevant implications. We additionally infer intra-species compositional profiles, identifying population structure shifts and the presence of yet uncharacterized variants. Our results highlight the complex relationship between microbiome composition and functional capacity, linking metagenome-level compositional shifts to strain-level variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Greenblum
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Rogan Carr
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Elhanan Borenstein
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA.
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30
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Clingenpeel S, Clum A, Schwientek P, Rinke C, Woyke T. Reconstructing each cell's genome within complex microbial communities-dream or reality? Front Microbiol 2015; 5:771. [PMID: 25620966 PMCID: PMC4287102 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
As the vast majority of microorganisms have yet to be cultivated in a laboratory setting, access to their genetic makeup has largely been limited to cultivation-independent methods. These methods, namely metagenomics and more recently single-cell genomics, have become cornerstones for microbial ecology and environmental microbiology. One ultimate goal is the recovery of genome sequences from each cell within an environment to move toward a better understanding of community metabolic potential and to provide substrate for experimental work. As single-cell sequencing has the ability to decipher all sequence information contained in an individual cell, this method holds great promise in tackling such challenge. Methodological limitations and inherent biases however do exist, which will be discussed here based on environmental and benchmark data, to assess how far we are from reaching this goal.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alicia Clum
- DOE Joint Genome Institute Walnut Creek, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Tanja Woyke
- DOE Joint Genome Institute Walnut Creek, CA, USA
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Hodkinson BP, Grice EA. Next-Generation Sequencing: A Review of Technologies and Tools for Wound Microbiome Research. Adv Wound Care (New Rochelle) 2015; 4:50-58. [PMID: 25566414 DOI: 10.1089/wound.2014.0542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2014] [Accepted: 06/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Significance: The colonization of wounds by specific microbes or communities of microbes may delay healing and/or lead to infection-related complication. Studies of wound-associated microbial communities (microbiomes) to date have primarily relied upon culture-based methods, which are known to have extreme biases and are not reliable for the characterization of microbiomes. Biofilms are very resistant to culture and are therefore especially difficult to study with techniques that remain standard in clinical settings. Recent Advances: Culture-independent approaches employing next-generation DNA sequencing have provided researchers and clinicians a window into wound-associated microbiomes that could not be achieved before and has begun to transform our view of wound-associated biodiversity. Within the past decade, many platforms have arisen for performing this type of sequencing, with various types of applications for microbiome research being possible on each. Critical Issues: Wound care incorporating knowledge of microbiomes gained from next-generation sequencing could guide clinical management and treatments. The purpose of this review is to outline the current platforms, their applications, and the steps necessary to undertake microbiome studies using next-generation sequencing. Future Directions: As DNA sequencing technology progresses, platforms will continue to produce longer reads and more reads per run at lower costs. A major future challenge is to implement these technologies in clinical settings for more precise and rapid identification of wound bioburden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan P. Hodkinson
- Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Elizabeth A. Grice
- Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Marbouty M, Cournac A, Flot JF, Marie-Nelly H, Mozziconacci J, Koszul R. Metagenomic chromosome conformation capture (meta3C) unveils the diversity of chromosome organization in microorganisms. eLife 2014; 3:e03318. [PMID: 25517076 PMCID: PMC4381813 DOI: 10.7554/elife.03318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2014] [Accepted: 11/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Genomic analyses of microbial populations in their natural environment remain limited by the difficulty to assemble full genomes of individual species. Consequently, the chromosome organization of microorganisms has been investigated in a few model species, but the extent to which the features described can be generalized to other taxa remains unknown. Using controlled mixes of bacterial and yeast species, we developed meta3C, a metagenomic chromosome conformation capture approach that allows characterizing individual genomes and their average organization within a mix of organisms. Not only can meta3C be applied to species already sequenced, but a single meta3C library can be used for assembling, scaffolding and characterizing the tridimensional organization of unknown genomes. By applying meta3C to a semi-complex environmental sample, we confirmed its promising potential. Overall, this first meta3C study highlights the remarkable diversity of microorganisms chromosome organization, while providing an elegant and integrated approach to metagenomic analysis. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03318.001 Microbial communities play vital roles in the environment and sustain animal and plant life. Marine microbes are part of the ocean's food chain; soil microbes support the turnover of major nutrients and facilitate plant growth; and the microbial communities residing in the human gut support digestion and the immune system, among other roles. These communities are very complex systems, often containing 1000s of different species engaged in co-dependent relationships, and are therefore very difficult to study. The entire DNA sequence of an organism constitutes its genome, and much of this genetic information is stored in large structures called chromosomes. Examining the genome of a species can provide important clues about its lifestyle and how it evolved. To do this, DNA is extracted from cells and is then usually cut into smaller fragments, amplified, and sequenced. The small stretches of sequence obtained, called reads, are finally assembled, yielding ideally the complete genome of the organism under study. Metagenomics attempts to interpret the combined genome of all the different species in a microbial community and has been instrumental in deciphering how the different species interact with each other. Metagenomics involves sequencing stretches of the community's DNA and matching these pieces to individual species to ultimately assemble whole genomes. While this may be a relatively straightforward task for communities that contain only a handful of members, the metagenomes derived from complex microbial communities are huge, fragmented, and incomplete. This often makes it very difficult or even nearly impossible to match the inferred DNA stretches to individual species. A method called chromosome conformation capture (or ‘3C’ for short) can reveal the physical contacts between different regions of a chromosome and between the different chromosomes of a cell. How often each of these chromosomal contacts occurs provides a kind of physical signature to each genome and each individual chromosome within it. Marbouty et al. took advantage of these interactions to develop a technique that combines metagenomics and chromosome conformation capture—called meta3C—that can analyze the DNA of many different species mixed together. Testing meta3C on artificial mixtures of a few species of yeast or bacteria showed that meta3C can separate the genomes of the different species without any prior knowledge of the composition of the mix. In a single experiment, meta3C can identify individual chromosomes, match each of them to its species of origin, and reveal the three-dimensional structure of each genome in the mix. Further tests showed that meta3C can also interpret more complex communities where the number and types of the species present are not known. Meta3C holds great promise for understanding how microbial communities work and how the genomes of the species within a community are organized. However, further developments of the technique will be required to investigate communities as diverse as those present in most natural environments. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03318.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Martial Marbouty
- Groupe Régulation Spatiale des Génomes, Département Génomes et Génétique, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Axel Cournac
- Groupe Régulation Spatiale des Génomes, Département Génomes et Génétique, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Jean-François Flot
- Biological Physics and Evolutionary Dynamics Group, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Hervé Marie-Nelly
- Groupe Régulation Spatiale des Génomes, Département Génomes et Génétique, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Julien Mozziconacci
- Department of Physics, Laboratoire de physique théorique de la matière condensée, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
| | - Romain Koszul
- Groupe Régulation Spatiale des Génomes, Département Génomes et Génétique, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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Milshteyn A, Schneider JS, Brady SF. Mining the metabiome: identifying novel natural products from microbial communities. CHEMISTRY & BIOLOGY 2014; 21:1211-23. [PMID: 25237864 PMCID: PMC4171686 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2014.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2014] [Revised: 08/06/2014] [Accepted: 08/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Microbial-derived natural products provide the foundation for most of the chemotherapeutic arsenal available to contemporary medicine. In the face of a dwindling pipeline of new lead structures identified by traditional culturing techniques and an increasing need for new therapeutics, surveys of microbial biosynthetic diversity across environmental metabiomes have revealed enormous reservoirs of as yet untapped natural products chemistry. In this review, we touch on the historical context of microbial natural product discovery and discuss innovations and technological advances that are facilitating culture-dependent and culture-independent access to new chemistry from environmental microbiomes with the goal of reinvigorating the small molecule therapeutics discovery pipeline. We highlight the successful strategies that have emerged and some of the challenges that must be overcome to enable the development of high-throughput methods for natural product discovery from complex microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandr Milshteyn
- Laboratory of Genetically Encoded Small Molecules, Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jessica S Schneider
- Laboratory of Genetically Encoded Small Molecules, Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Sean F Brady
- Laboratory of Genetically Encoded Small Molecules, Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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Taghavi Z. Ensemble analysis of adaptive compressed genome sequencing strategies. BMC Bioinformatics 2014; 15 Suppl 9:S13. [PMID: 25252999 PMCID: PMC4221792 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2105-15-s9-s13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Acquiring genomes at single-cell resolution has many applications such as in the
study of microbiota. However, deep sequencing and assembly of all of millions of
cells in a sample is prohibitively costly. A property that can come to rescue is
that deep sequencing of every cell should not be necessary to capture all distinct
genomes, as the majority of cells are biological replicates. Biologically
important samples are often sparse in that sense. In this paper, we propose an
adaptive compressed method, also known as distilled sensing, to capture all
distinct genomes in a sparse microbial community with reduced sequencing effort.
As opposed to group testing in which the number of distinct events is often
constant and sparsity is equivalent to rarity of an event, sparsity in our case
means scarcity of distinct events in comparison to the data size. Previously, we
introduced the problem and proposed a distilled sensing solution based on the
breadth first search strategy. We simulated the whole process which constrained
our ability to study the behavior of the algorithm for the entire ensemble due to
its computational intensity. Results In this paper, we modify our previous breadth first search strategy and introduce
the depth first search strategy. Instead of simulating the entire process, which
is intractable for a large number of experiments, we provide a dynamic programming
algorithm to analyze the behavior of the method for the entire ensemble. The
ensemble analysis algorithm recursively calculates the probability of capturing
every distinct genome and also the expected total sequenced nucleotides for a
given population profile. Our results suggest that the expected total sequenced
nucleotides grows proportional to log of the number of cells and proportional
linearly with the number of distinct genomes. The probability of missing a genome
depends on its abundance and the ratio of its size over the maximum genome size in
the sample. The modified resource allocation method accommodates a parameter to
control that probability. Availability The squeezambler 2.0 C++ source code is available at
http://sourceforge.net/projects/hyda/. The ensemble analysis MATLAB code is available at http://sourceforge.net/projects/distilled-sequencing/.
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Rajilić-Stojanović M, de Vos WM. The first 1000 cultured species of the human gastrointestinal microbiota. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2014; 38:996-1047. [PMID: 24861948 PMCID: PMC4262072 DOI: 10.1111/1574-6976.12075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 723] [Impact Index Per Article: 72.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2014] [Revised: 04/29/2014] [Accepted: 05/09/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The microorganisms that inhabit the human gastrointestinal tract comprise a complex ecosystem with functions that significantly contribute to our systemic metabolism and have an impact on health and disease. In line with its importance, the human gastrointestinal microbiota has been extensively studied. Despite the fact that a significant part of the intestinal microorganisms has not yet been cultured, presently over 1000 different microbial species that can reside in the human gastrointestinal tract have been identified. This review provides a systematic overview and detailed references of the total of 1057 intestinal species of Eukarya (92), Archaea (8) and Bacteria (957), based on the phylogenetic framework of their small subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequences. Moreover, it unifies knowledge about the prevalence, abundance, stability, physiology, genetics and the association with human health of these gastrointestinal microorganisms, which is currently scattered over a vast amount of literature published in the last 150 years. This detailed physiological and genetic information is expected to be instrumental in advancing our knowledge of the gastrointestinal microbiota. Moreover, it opens avenues for future comparative and functional metagenomic and other high-throughput approaches that need a systematic and physiological basis to have an impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirjana Rajilić-Stojanović
- Department for Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering, Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of BelgradeBelgrade, Serbia
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen UniversityWageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Willem M de Vos
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen UniversityWageningen, The Netherlands
- Departments of Bacteriology and Immunology, and Veterinary Biosciences, University of HelsinkiHelsinki, Finland
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Lasken RS, McLean JS. Recent advances in genomic DNA sequencing of microbial species from single cells. Nat Rev Genet 2014; 15:577-84. [PMID: 25091868 PMCID: PMC4454502 DOI: 10.1038/nrg3785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The vast majority of microbial species remain uncultivated and, until recently, about half of all known bacterial phyla were identified only from their 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequence. With the advent of single-cell sequencing, genomes of uncultivated species are rapidly filling in unsequenced branches of the microbial phylogenetic tree. The wealth of new insights gained from these previously inaccessible groups is providing a deeper understanding of their basic biology, taxonomy and evolution, as well as their diverse roles in environmental ecosystems and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger S Lasken
- J. Craig Venter Institute, 4120 Capricorn Lane, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Jeffrey S McLean
- 1] J. Craig Venter Institute, 4120 Capricorn Lane, La Jolla, California 92037, USA. [2] School of Dentistry, Department of Periodontics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
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Hosokawa M, Hoshino Y, Nishikawa Y, Hirose T, Yoon DH, Mori T, Sekiguchi T, Shoji S, Takeyama H. Droplet-based microfluidics for high-throughput screening of a metagenomic library for isolation of microbial enzymes. Biosens Bioelectron 2014; 67:379-85. [PMID: 25194237 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2014.08.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2014] [Revised: 08/15/2014] [Accepted: 08/22/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
This paper proposes a high-throughput, function-based screening approach of a metagenomic library for isolating novel microbial enzymes by droplet-based microfluidics. We used gel microdroplets (GMDs) dispersed in oil as picoliter-volume reaction vessels for lipolytic enzyme by encapsulating cells in individual GMDs. Using this approach, we monitored the growth of individual cells encapsulated in GMDs and assessed the enzyme reaction activities at the level of an individual GMD. We then applied this method to screen lipolytic enzyme genes from the metagenomic library constructed from soil collected from a quercus serrate forest of Mount Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. In the workflow presented in this study, metagenomic library clones were encapsulated in 100-pL GMDs with a fluorogenic reporter substrate. A total of 67,000 metagenomic library clones can be screened in only 24 h with reduced consumption of reagents (i.e., <10 μL). As a result, we identified a novel lipolytic enzyme, EstT1, belonging to the EstD2 family of esterases and containing a putative signal peptide, which facilitates enzyme export and catalyzation of substrates in the periplasm. Our study demonstrates the potential of microfluidic GMDs as an efficient tool for metagenomic library screening of industrially relevant enzymes with the potential of significantly reducing the cost and time factors involved in successful practical application of microbial enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahito Hosokawa
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan; Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Waseda University, 513, Wasedatsurumaki-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0041, Japan; Core Research for Evolutionary Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 5, Sanbancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0075, Japan
| | - Yuri Hoshino
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Yohei Nishikawa
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Tomotada Hirose
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1, Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan
| | - Dong Hyun Yoon
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1, Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan
| | - Tetsushi Mori
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan; Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Waseda University, 513, Wasedatsurumaki-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0041, Japan; Core Research for Evolutionary Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 5, Sanbancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0075, Japan
| | - Tetsushi Sekiguchi
- Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Waseda University, 513, Wasedatsurumaki-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0041, Japan
| | - Shuichi Shoji
- Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Waseda University, 513, Wasedatsurumaki-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0041, Japan; Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1, Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan
| | - Haruko Takeyama
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan; Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Waseda University, 513, Wasedatsurumaki-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0041, Japan; Core Research for Evolutionary Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 5, Sanbancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0075, Japan.
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Identification and assembly of genomes and genetic elements in complex metagenomic samples without using reference genomes. Nat Biotechnol 2014; 32:822-8. [PMID: 24997787 DOI: 10.1038/nbt.2939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 701] [Impact Index Per Article: 70.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2014] [Accepted: 05/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Most current approaches for analyzing metagenomic data rely on comparisons to reference genomes, but the microbial diversity of many environments extends far beyond what is covered by reference databases. De novo segregation of complex metagenomic data into specific biological entities, such as particular bacterial strains or viruses, remains a largely unsolved problem. Here we present a method, based on binning co-abundant genes across a series of metagenomic samples, that enables comprehensive discovery of new microbial organisms, viruses and co-inherited genetic entities and aids assembly of microbial genomes without the need for reference sequences. We demonstrate the method on data from 396 human gut microbiome samples and identify 7,381 co-abundance gene groups (CAGs), including 741 metagenomic species (MGS). We use these to assemble 238 high-quality microbial genomes and identify affiliations between MGS and hundreds of viruses or genetic entities. Our method provides the means for comprehensive profiling of the diversity within complex metagenomic samples.
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Charlop-Powers Z, Milshteyn A, Brady SF. Metagenomic small molecule discovery methods. Curr Opin Microbiol 2014; 19:70-75. [PMID: 25000402 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2014.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2014] [Revised: 05/10/2014] [Accepted: 05/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Metagenomic approaches to natural product discovery provide the means to harvest bioactive small molecules synthesized by environmental bacteria without the requirement of first culturing these organisms. Advances in sequencing technologies and general metagenomic methods are beginning to provide the tools necessary to unlock the unexplored biosynthetic potential encoded by the genomes of uncultured environmental bacteria. Here, we highlight recent advances in sequence-based and functional-based metagenomic approaches that promise to facilitate antibiotic discovery from diverse environmental microbiomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Charlop-Powers
- Laboratory of Genetically Encoded Small Molecules, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Aleksandr Milshteyn
- Laboratory of Genetically Encoded Small Molecules, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Sean F Brady
- Laboratory of Genetically Encoded Small Molecules, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, United States.
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Tandogan N, Abadian PN, Epstein S, Aoi Y, Goluch ED. Isolation of microorganisms using sub-micrometer constrictions. PLoS One 2014; 9:e101429. [PMID: 24978477 PMCID: PMC4076310 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2014] [Accepted: 06/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
We present an automated method for isolating pure bacterial cultures from samples containing multiple species that exploits the cell's own physiology to perform the separation. Cells compete to reach a chamber containing nutrients via a constriction whose cross-sectional area only permits a single cell to enter, thereby blocking the opening and preventing other cells from entering. The winning cell divides across the constriction and its progeny populate the chamber. The devices are passive and require no user interaction to perform their function. Device fabrication begins with the creation of a master mold that contains the desired constriction and chamber features. Replica molding is used to create patterned polymer chips from the master, which are bonded to glass microscope cover slips to create the constrictions. We tested constriction geometries ranging from 500 nanometers to 5 micrometers in width, 600 to 950 nanometers in height, and 10 to 40 micrometers in length. The devices were used to successfully isolate a pure Pseudomonas aeruginosa culture from a mixture that also contained Escherichia coli. We demonstrated that individual strains of the same species can be separated out from mixtures using red and green fluorescently-labeled E. coli. We also used the devices to isolate individual environmental species. Roseobacter sp. was separated from another marine species, Psychroserpens sp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nil Tandogan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Pegah N. Abadian
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Slava Epstein
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail: (EDG); (SE); (YA)
| | - Yoshiteru Aoi
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Institute for Sustainable Science and Development, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
- * E-mail: (EDG); (SE); (YA)
| | - Edgar D. Goluch
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail: (EDG); (SE); (YA)
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41
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Capturing and cultivating single bacterial cells in gel microdroplets to obtain near-complete genomes. Nat Protoc 2014; 9:608-21. [DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2014.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Takahashi H, Yamazaki H, Akanuma S, Kanahara H, Saito T, Chimuro T, Kobayashi T, Ohtani T, Yamamoto K, Sugiyama S, Kobori T. Preparation of Phi29 DNA polymerase free of amplifiable DNA using ethidium monoazide, an ultraviolet-free light-emitting diode lamp and trehalose. PLoS One 2014; 9:e82624. [PMID: 24505243 PMCID: PMC3915000 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2013] [Accepted: 10/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously reported that multiply-primed rolling circle amplification (MRPCA) using modified random RNA primers can amplify tiny amounts of circular DNA without producing any byproducts. However, contaminating DNA in recombinant Phi29 DNA polymerase adversely affects the outcome of MPRCA, especially for negative controls such as non-template controls. The amplified DNA in negative control casts doubt on the result of DNA amplification. Since Phi29 DNA polymerase has high affinity for both single-strand and double-stranded DNA, some amount of host DNA will always remain in the recombinant polymerase. Here we describe a procedure for preparing Phi29 DNA polymerase which is essentially free of amplifiable DNA. This procedure is realized by a combination of host DNA removal using appropriate salt concentrations, inactivation of amplifiable DNA using ethidium monoazide, and irradiation with visible light from a light-emitting diode lamp. Any remaining DNA, which likely exists as oligonucleotides captured by the Phi29 DNA polymerase, is degraded by the 3'-5' exonuclease activity of the polymerase itself in the presence of trehalose, used as an anti-aggregation reagent. Phi29 DNA polymerase purified by this procedure has little amplifiable DNA, resulting in reproducible amplification of at least ten copies of plasmid DNA without any byproducts and reducing reaction volume. This procedure could aid the amplification of tiny amounts DNA, thereby providing clear evidence of contamination from laboratory environments, tools and reagents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirokazu Takahashi
- Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, Food Engineering Division, National Food Research Institute, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Yamazaki
- Isehara Research Laboratory, Technology & Development Division, Kanto Chemical Co., Inc., Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Satoshi Akanuma
- Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, Food Engineering Division, National Food Research Institute, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Hiroko Kanahara
- Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, Food Engineering Division, National Food Research Institute, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Toshiyuki Saito
- Transcriptome Profiling Group, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, Chiba, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Chimuro
- Isehara Research Laboratory, Technology & Development Division, Kanto Chemical Co., Inc., Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Takayoshi Kobayashi
- Bio-Chemical Department, Reagent Division, Kanto Chemical Co., Inc. Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshio Ohtani
- Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, Food Engineering Division, National Food Research Institute, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Kimiko Yamamoto
- Insect Genome Laboratory, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Shigeru Sugiyama
- Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, Food Engineering Division, National Food Research Institute, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Toshiro Kobori
- Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, Food Engineering Division, National Food Research Institute, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
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Close DW, Ferrara F, Dichosa AEK, Kumar S, Daughton AR, Daligault HE, Reitenga KG, Velappan N, Sanchez TC, Iyer S, Kiss C, Han CS, Bradbury ARM. Using phage display selected antibodies to dissect microbiomes for complete de novo genome sequencing of low abundance microbes. BMC Microbiol 2013; 13:270. [PMID: 24279426 PMCID: PMC3907030 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-13-270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2013] [Accepted: 11/21/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Single cell genomics has revolutionized microbial sequencing, but complete coverage of genomes in complex microbiomes is imperfect due to enormous variation in organismal abundance and amplification bias. Empirical methods that complement rapidly improving bioinformatic tools will improve characterization of microbiomes and facilitate better genome coverage for low abundance microbes. METHODS We describe a new approach to sequencing individual species from microbiomes that combines antibody phage display against intact bacteria with fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). Single chain (scFv) antibodies are selected using phage display against a bacteria or microbial community, resulting in species-specific antibodies that can be used in FACS for relative quantification of an organism in a community, as well as enrichment or depletion prior to genome sequencing. RESULTS We selected antibodies against Lactobacillus acidophilus and demonstrate a FACS-based approach for identification and enrichment of the organism from both laboratory-cultured and commercially derived bacterial mixtures. The ability to selectively enrich for L. acidophilus when it is present at a very low abundance (<0.2%) leads to complete (>99.8%) de novo genome coverage whereas the standard single-cell sequencing approach is incomplete (<68%). We show that specific antibodies can be selected against L. acidophilus when the monoculture is used as antigen as well as when a community of 10 closely related species is used demonstrating that in principal antibodies can be generated against individual organisms within microbial communities. CONCLUSIONS The approach presented here demonstrates that phage-selected antibodies against bacteria enable identification, enrichment of rare species, and depletion of abundant organisms making it tractable to virtually any microbe or microbial community. Combining antibody specificity with FACS provides a new approach for characterizing and manipulating microbial communities prior to genome sequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devin W Close
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA.
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Massively parallel polymerase cloning and genome sequencing of single cells using nanoliter microwells. Nat Biotechnol 2013; 31:1126-32. [PMID: 24213699 PMCID: PMC3875318 DOI: 10.1038/nbt.2720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 165] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2013] [Accepted: 09/13/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Genome sequencing of single cells has a variety of applications, including characterizing difficult-to-culture microorganisms and identifying somatic mutations in single cells from mammalian tissues. A major hurdle in this process is the bias in amplifying the genetic material from a single cell, a procedure known as polymerase cloning. Here we describe the microwell displacement amplification system (MIDAS), a massively parallel polymerase cloning method in which single cells are randomly distributed into hundreds to thousands of nanoliter wells and simultaneously amplified for shotgun sequencing. MIDAS reduces amplification bias because polymerase cloning occurs in physically separated nanoliter-scale reactors, facilitating the de novo assembly of near-complete microbial genomes from single E. coli cells. In addition, MIDAS allowed us to detect single-copy number changes in primary human adult neurons at 1–2 Mb resolution. MIDAS will further the characterization of genomic diversity in many heterogeneous cell populations.
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Generating whole bacterial genome sequences of low-abundance species from complex samples with IMS-MDA. Nat Protoc 2013; 8:2404-12. [PMID: 24202554 DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2013.147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The study of bacterial populations using whole-genome sequencing is of considerable scientific and clinical interest. However, obtaining bacterial genomic information is not always trivial: the target bacteria may be difficult to culture or uncultured, and they may be found within samples containing complex mixtures of other contaminating microbes and/or host cells, from which it is very difficult to derive robust sequencing data. Here we describe our procedure to generate sufficient DNA for whole-genome sequencing from clinical samples and without the need for culture, as successfully used on the difficult-to-culture, obligate intracellular pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis. Our protocol combines immunomagnetic separation (IMS) for targeted bacterial enrichment with multiple displacement amplification (MDA) for whole-genome amplification (WGA), which is followed by high-throughput sequencing. Compared with other techniques that might be used to generate such data, IMS-MDA is an inexpensive, low-technology and highly transferable process that provides amplified genomic DNA for sequencing from target bacteria in under 5 h, with little hands-on time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine M Bryant
- Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK.
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