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Ki KC, Lewis EL, Wu E, Oliaro FJ, Aubry LM, Knapp CR, Kapheim KM, DeNardo D, French SS. High sugar diet alters immune function and the gut microbiome in juvenile green iguanas (Iguana iguana). J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246981. [PMID: 38804667 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246981] [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: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
The present work aimed to study whether a high sugar diet can alter immune responses and the gut microbiome in green iguanas. Thirty-six iguanas were split into four treatment groups using a 2×2 design. Iguanas received either a sugar-supplemented diet or a control diet, and either a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection or a phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) injection. Iguanas were given their respective diet treatment through the entire study (∼3 months) and received a primary immune challenge 1 and 2 months into the experiment. Blood samples and cloacal swabs were taken at various points in the experiment and used to measure changes in the immune system (bacterial killing ability, lysis and agglutination scores, LPS-specific IgY concentrations), and alterations in the gut microbiome. We found that a sugar diet reduces bacterial killing ability following an LPS challenge, and sugar and the immune challenge temporarily alters gut microbiome composition while reducing alpha diversity. Although sugar did not directly reduce lysis and agglutination following the immune challenge, the change in these scores over a 24-h period following an immune challenge was more drastic (it decreased) relative to the control diet group. Moreover, sugar increased constitutive agglutination outside of the immune challenges (i.e. pre-challenge levels). In this study, we provide evidence that a high sugar diet affects the immune system of green iguanas (in a disruptive manner) and alters the gut microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwanho C Ki
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5205 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA
- Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5205 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Erin L Lewis
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5205 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA
- Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5205 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Elizabeth Wu
- Psychology Department, Arizona State University, 950 S. McAllister Ave, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Francis J Oliaro
- Daniel P. Haerther Center for Conservation and Research, John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL 60605, USA
| | - Lise M Aubry
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation, Colorado State University, 1474 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1474, USA
| | - Charles R Knapp
- Daniel P. Haerther Center for Conservation and Research, John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL 60605, USA
| | - Karen M Kapheim
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5205 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Dale DeNardo
- School of Life Science, Arizona State University, 427 E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Susannah S French
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5205 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA
- Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5205 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA
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2
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Rivera DS, Beltrán V, Gutiérrez-Cortés I, Vargas C, Alfaro FD. Insights into the Gut Microbiome of the South American Leaf-Toed Gecko ( Phylodactylus gerropygus) Inhabiting the Core of the Atacama Desert. Microorganisms 2024; 12:1194. [PMID: 38930576 PMCID: PMC11205927 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12061194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2024] [Revised: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Living in arid environments presents unique challenges to organisms, including limited food and water, extreme temperatures, and UV exposure. Reptiles, such as the South American leaf-toed gecko (Phyllodactylus gerrhopygus), have evolved remarkable adaptations to thrive in such harsh conditions. The gut microbiome plays a critical role in host adaptation and health, yet its composition remains poorly characterized in desert reptiles. This study aimed to characterize the composition and abundance of the gut microbiome in P. gerrhopygus inhabiting the hyperarid Atacama Desert, taking into account potential sex differences. Fecal samples from adult female and male geckos were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. No significant differences in bacterial alpha diversity were observed between the sexes. However, the phylum Bacteroidota was more abundant in females, while males had a higher Firmicutes/Bacteroidota ratio. The core microbiome was dominated by the phyla Bacteroidota, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria in both sexes. Analysis of bacterial composition revealed 481 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) shared by female and male geckos. In addition, 108 unique ASVs were exclusive to females, while 244 ASVs were unique to males. Although the overall bacterial composition did not differ significantly between the sexes, certain taxa exhibited higher relative abundances in each sex group. This study provides insight into the taxonomic structure of the gut microbiome in a desert-adapted reptile and highlights potential sex-specific differences. Understanding these microbial communities is critical for elucidating the mechanisms underlying host resilience in Earth's most arid environments, and for informing conservation efforts in the face of ongoing climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela S. Rivera
- GEMA Center for Genomics, Ecology & Environment, Universidad Mayor, Camino La Piramide, 5750, Santiago 8580745, Chile;
| | - Valentina Beltrán
- GEMA Center for Genomics, Ecology & Environment, Universidad Mayor, Camino La Piramide, 5750, Santiago 8580745, Chile;
| | - Ignacio Gutiérrez-Cortés
- Extreme Ecosystem Microbiomics & Ecogenomics Lab., Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8320165, Chile;
| | - Constanza Vargas
- Centro UC Desierto de Atacama, Instituto de Geografía, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago 7820436, Chile;
| | - Fernando D. Alfaro
- GEMA Center for Genomics, Ecology & Environment, Universidad Mayor, Camino La Piramide, 5750, Santiago 8580745, Chile;
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Yuan X, Tan Y, Bajinka O, Jammeh ML, Dukureh A, Obiegbusi CN, Abdelhalim KA, Mohanad M. The connection between epigenetics and gut microbiota-current perspective. Cell Biochem Funct 2024; 42:e3941. [PMID: 38379252 DOI: 10.1002/cbf.3941] [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: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Both the epigenetic changes and gut microbiota (GM) have attracted a growing interest in establishing effective diagnostics and potential therapeutic strategies for a number of diseases. These disorders include metabolic, central nervous system-related diseases, autoimmune, and gastrointestinal infections (GI). Despite the number of studies, there is no extensive review that connects the epigenetics modifications and GM as biomarkers that could confer effective diagnostics and confer treatment options. To this end, this review hopes to give detailed information on connecting the modifications in epigenetic and GM. An updated and detailed information on the connection between the epigenetics factors and GM that influence diseases are given. In addition, the review showed some associations between the epigenetics to the maternal GM and offspring health. Finally, the limitations of the concept and prospects into this new emerging discipline were also looked into. Although this review elucidated on the maternal diet and response to offspring health with respect to GM and epigenetic modifications, there still exist various limitations to this newly emerging discipline. In addition to integrating complementary multi-omics data, longitudinal sampling will aid with the identification of functional mechanisms that may serve as therapeutic targets. To this end, this review gave a detailed perspective into harnessing disease diagnostics, prevention and treatment options through epigenetics and GM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingxing Yuan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Heilongjiang Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
- Department of First Clinical Medicine, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Yurong Tan
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Central South University Changsha, Changsha, China
- Department of Medical Science, School of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of The Gambia, Banjul, The Gambia
| | - Ousman Bajinka
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Central South University Changsha, Changsha, China
- Department of Medical Science, School of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of The Gambia, Banjul, The Gambia
| | - Modou L Jammeh
- Department of Medical Science, School of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of The Gambia, Banjul, The Gambia
| | - Abubakarr Dukureh
- Department of Medical Science, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Chidera N Obiegbusi
- Department of Medical Science, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Khalid A Abdelhalim
- Industrial Research and Development, Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkiye
| | - Mahmoud Mohanad
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Central South University Changsha, Changsha, China
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Lin Z, He M, Zhong C, Li Y, Tang S, Kang X, Wu Z. Responses of gut microbiota in crocodile lizards ( Shinisaurus crocodilurus) to changes in temperature. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1263917. [PMID: 38033565 PMCID: PMC10684959 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1263917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiota plays an essential role in maintaining the health and fitness of the host organism. As a critical environmental variable, temperature exerts significant effects on animal survival and reproduction. Elevated temperatures can influence the composition and function of the animal gut microbiota, which may have potentially detrimental effects on the host. The crocodile lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus) is an ancient and currently endangered reptile species due to human hunting and habitat destruction. Given the predicted shifts in global temperatures in the next century, it is important to understand how warming affects the gut microbiota of these vulnerable lizards, which remains unclear. To determine how the microbial communities change in crocodile lizards in response to warming, we analyzed the gut microbiota under five temperature conditions (22°C, 24°C, 26°C, 28°C, and 30°C) using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. Results showed that the dominant phyla, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, in gut microbiota were not significantly affected by temperature variations, but increasing temperature altered the structure and increased the community richness of the gut microbiota. In addition, warming changed the abundance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Actinobacteria, which may have negative effects on the physiological health of the crocodile lizards. Functional prediction analysis demonstrated that the functional pathways enriched in crocodile lizards were mainly related to metabolism, with no significant differences observed in these pathways at KEGG pathway level 1 after warming. These results provide valuable insights into the ecological adaptations and regulatory mechanisms employed by crocodile lizards in response to warming, which may be of benefit for their conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengzhong Lin
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Guangxi Normal University, Ministry of Education, Guilin, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China
| | - Mingxian He
- College of Food and Biochemical Engineering, Guangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Guangxi, China
| | - Chunying Zhong
- College of Vocational and Technical Education, Guangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Guangxi, China
| | - Yuhui Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Guangxi Normal University, Ministry of Education, Guilin, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China
| | - Sanqi Tang
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Guangxi Normal University, Ministry of Education, Guilin, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China
| | - Xindan Kang
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Guangxi Normal University, Ministry of Education, Guilin, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China
| | - Zhengjun Wu
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Guangxi Normal University, Ministry of Education, Guilin, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China
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Hoffbeck C, Middleton DMRL, Nelson NJ, Taylor MW. 16S rRNA gene-based meta-analysis of the reptile gut microbiota reveals environmental effects, host influences and a limited core microbiota. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:6044-6058. [PMID: 37795930 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
An animal's gut microbiota plays an important role in host health, reproduction and digestion. However, many studies focus on only a few individuals or a single species, limiting our ability to recognize emergent patterns across a wider taxonomic grouping. Here, we compiled and reanalysed published 16S rRNA gene sequence data for 745 gut microbiota samples from 91 reptile species using a uniform bioinformatics pipeline to draw broader conclusions about the taxonomy of the reptile gut microbiota and the forces shaping it. Our meta-analysis revealed the significant differences in alpha- and beta-diversity across host order, environment, diet, habitat and conservation status, with host diet and order contributing the most to these differences. We identified the principal bacterial phyla present in the reptile gut microbiota as Bacteroidota, Proteobacteria (mostly Gamma class), and Firmicutes, and detected the bacterial genus Bacteroides in most reptile individuals, thus representing a putative 'core' microbiota. Our study provides novel insights into key drivers of the reptile gut microbiota, highlights existing knowledge gaps and lays the groundwork for future research on these fascinating hosts and their associated microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Hoffbeck
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Nicola J Nelson
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Michael W Taylor
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Park JK, Park WB, Do Y. Tadpole growth rates and gut bacterial community: Dominance of developmental stages over temperature variations. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0292521. [PMID: 37796877 PMCID: PMC10553268 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Tadpoles present an intriguing model system for studying the regulation and selection of gut microbiota. They offer a unique perspective to enhance our understanding of host-microbiota interactions, given their capacity to alter the dynamics of the gut microbial community by interacting with multiple environmental factors within a complex life cycle. In this study, we comprehensively investigated variations in growth rate and gut bacterial community in relation to temperature differences during the complex process of amphibian metamorphosis. Higher temperatures prompted tadpoles to metamorphose more rapidly than at lower temperatures, but the impact on size and weight was minimal. Differences in temperature were not associated with gut bacterial diversity, but they did affect certain aspects of beta diversity and bacterial composition. However, the developmental stage invoked greater heterogeneity than temperature in gut bacterial diversity, composition, and functional groups. These findings suggest that inherent biological systems exert stronger control over an organism's homeostasis and variation than the external environment. Although results may vary based on the magnitude or type of environmental factors, metamorphosis in tadpoles greatly influences their biology, potentially dominating microbial interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Kyu Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kongju National University, Gongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Woong-Bae Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kongju National University, Gongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Yuno Do
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kongju National University, Gongju, Republic of Korea
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Siddiqui R, Akbar N, Maciver SK, Alharbi AM, Alfahemi H, Khan NA. Gut microbiome of Crocodylus porosus and cellular stress: inhibition of nitric oxide, interleukin 1-beta, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and prostaglandin E2 in cerebrovascular endothelial cells. Arch Microbiol 2023; 205:344. [PMID: 37768360 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-023-03680-z] [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: 05/07/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Crocodiles are renowned for their resilience and capacity to withstand environmental stressors, likely influenced by their unique gut microbiome. In this study, we determined whether selected gut bacteria of Crocodylus porosus exhibit anti-inflammatory effects in response to stress, by measuring nitric oxide release, interleukin 1-beta, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and prostaglandin E2 in cerebrovascular endothelial cells. Using the Griess assay, the findings revealed that among several C. porosus gut bacterial isolates, the conditioned media containing the metabolites of two bacterial strains (CP27 and CP36) inhibited nitric oxide production significantly, in response to the positive control, i.e., taxol-treatment. Notably, CP27 and CP36 were more potent at reducing nitric oxide production than senloytic compounds (fisetin, quercetin). Using enzyme linked immunosorbent assays, the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, PGE2), was markedly reduced by treatment with CP27 and CP36, in response to stress. Both CP27 and CP36 contain a plethora of metabolites to exact their effects [(3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol, 5-methoxytryptophan, nifedipine, 4-chlorotestosterone-17-acetate, 3-phenoxypropionic acid, lactic acid, f-Honaucin A, l,l-Cyclo(leucylprolyl), 3-hydroxy-decanoic acid etc.], indicative of their potential in providing protection against cellular stress. Further high-throughput bioassay-guided testing of gut microbial metabolites from crocodiles, individually as well as in combination, together with the underlying molecular mechanisms, in vitro and in vivo will elucidate their value in the rational development of innovative therapies against cellular stress/gut dysbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui
- College of Arts and Sciences, American University of Sharjah, 26666, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Microbiota Research Center, Istinye University, Istanbul, 34010, Turkey
| | - Noor Akbar
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Sutherland K Maciver
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ahmad M Alharbi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, 21944, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hasan Alfahemi
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Baha University, 65799, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Naveed Ahmed Khan
- Microbiota Research Center, Istinye University, Istanbul, 34010, Turkey.
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8
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Siddiqui R, Akbar N, Soares NC, Al-Hroub HM, Semreen MH, Maciver SK, Khan NA. Mass spectrometric analysis of bioactive conditioned media of bacteria isolated from reptilian gut. Future Sci OA 2023; 9:FSO861. [PMID: 37180607 PMCID: PMC10167718 DOI: 10.2144/fsoa-2023-0030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim To determine whether selected gut bacteria of crocodile exhibit antibacterial properties. Materials & methods Two bacteria isolated from Crocodylus porosus gut were used, namely: Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Aeromonas dhakensis. Conditioned media were tested against pathogenic bacteria and metabolites were analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results & conclusion Antibacterial assays revealed that conditioned media showed potent effects against pathogenic Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. LC-MS revealed identity of 210 metabolites. The abundant metabolites were, N-Acetyl-L-tyrosine, Acetaminophen, Trans-Ferulic acid, N, N-Dimethylformamide, Pyrocatechol, Cyclohexanone, Diphenhydramine, Melatonin, Gamma-terpinene, Cysteamine, 3-phenoxypropionic acid, Indole-3-carbinol, Benzaldehyde, Benzocaine, 2-Aminobenzoic acid, 3-Methylindole. These findings suggest that crocodile gut bacteria are potential source of novel bioactive molecules that can be utilized as pre/post/antibiotics for the benefit of human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui
- College of Arts & Sciences, American University of Sharjah, University City, Sharjah, 26666, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Istinye University, Istanbul, 34010, Turkey
| | - Noor Akbar
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Nelson Cruz Soares
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Hamza Mohammad Al-Hroub
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohammad Harb Semreen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Sutherland K Maciver
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Naveed Ahmed Khan
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Istinye University, Istanbul, 34010, Turkey
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
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Beale DJ, Bissett A, Nilsson S, Bose U, Nelis JLD, Nahar A, Smith M, Gonzalez-Astudillo V, Braun C, Baddiley B, Vardy S. Perturbation of the gut microbiome in wild-caught freshwater turtles (Emydura macquarii macquarii) exposed to elevated PFAS levels. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:156324. [PMID: 35654195 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are environmentally persistent and pervasive. Understanding the toxicity of PFAS to wildlife is difficult, both due to the complexity of biotic and abiotic perturbations in the taxa under study and the practical and ethical problems associated with studying the impacts of environmental pollutants on free living wildlife. One avenue of inquiry into the effects of environmental pollutants, such as PFAS, is assessing the impact on the host gut microbiome. Here we show the microbial composition and biochemical functional outputs from the gut microbiome of sampled faeces from euthanised and necropsied wild-caught freshwater turtles (Emydura macquarii macquarii) exposed to elevated PFAS levels. The microbial community composition was profiled by 16S rRNA gene sequencing using a Nanopore MinION and the biochemical functional outputs of the gut microbiome were profiled using a combination of targeted central carbon metabolism metabolomics using liquid chromatography coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (LC-QqQ-MS) and untargeted metabolomics using liquid chromatography coupled to a quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometer (LC-QToF-MS). Total PFAS was measured in the turtle serum using standard methods. These preliminary data demonstrated a 60-fold PFAS increase in impacted turtles compared to the sampled aquatic environment. The microbiome community was also impacted in the PFAS exposed turtles, with the ratio of Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes rising from 1.4 at the reference site to 5.5 at the PFAS impacted site. This ratio increase is indicative of host stress and dysfunction of the gut microbiome that was correlated with the biochemical metabolic function data, metabolites observed that are indications of stress and inflammation in the gut microbiome. Utilising the gut microbiome of sampled faeces collected from freshwater turtles provides a non-destructive avenue for investigating the impacts of PFAS in native wildlife, and provides an avenue to explore other contaminants in higher-order taxa within the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Beale
- Land and Water, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Ecosciences Precinct, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia.
| | - Andrew Bissett
- Oceans and Atmosphere, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Battery Point, TAS 7004, Australia
| | - Sandra Nilsson
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Utpal Bose
- Agriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, St Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia
| | - Joost Laurus Dinant Nelis
- Agriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, St Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia
| | - Akhikun Nahar
- Land and Water, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Research and Innovation Park, Acton, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Matthew Smith
- National Collections and Marine Infrastructure (NCMI), Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Battery Point, TAS 7004, Australia
| | | | - Christoph Braun
- Water Quality and Investigation, Science and Technology Division, Department of Environment and Science, Queensland Government, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Brenda Baddiley
- Water Quality and Investigation, Science and Technology Division, Department of Environment and Science, Queensland Government, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Suzanne Vardy
- Water Quality and Investigation, Science and Technology Division, Department of Environment and Science, Queensland Government, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia
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Zhang Z, Zhu Q, Chen J, Khattak RH, Li Z, Teng L, Liu Z. Insights into the composition of gut microbiota in response to environmental temperature: The case of the Mongolia racerunner (Eremias argus). Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
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