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Tsoukalas D, Hamed I, Hoel S, Lerfall J, Jakobsen AN. Effect of harvesting season and location on the microbial quality and community composition of the edible sea urchin (Echinus esculentus) gonads. Food Microbiol 2024; 123:104594. [PMID: 39038897 DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2024.104594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Despite the crucial role of microbial community composition in the quality and stability of seafood, little emphasis has been given to the microbiota profile of sea urchin gonads. This study investigates the microbial quality and community composition of sea urchin gonads (Echinus esculentus) as a function of harvesting season (autumn, winter, spring, and summer) and location (one site proximal to urban activity areas while the other is located in open water close to the coastline). Significant season-dependent variations were found in psychrotrophic and aerobic plate counts, with higher counts in summer, followed by autumn, spring, and winter. H2S-producing bacteria and Pseudomonas spp. counts were unaffected by harvesting season or location. Sea urchin gonad microbial composition proved resilient and dynamic, primarily shaped by seasonal variations, and minimally influenced by location. Winter and spring samples exhibited higher diversity than autumn and summer. Key genera like Pseudomonas, Psychromonas, Vibrio, Chryseobacterium, Shewanella, and Photobacterium varied seasonally. Pseudomonas, Vibrio, and Photobacterium are crucial in assessing microbial quality and safety due to their roles as specific spoilage organisms (SSOs) and, in some cases, human pathogens. Though relative abundances differed slightly between locations, harvesting location did not notably impact microbial community shaping in gonads. However, the results suggest that harvesting locations near areas with urban activity may lead to contamination with specific bacterial species, possibly due to water quality variations. These findings emphasize the importance of considering seasonality when evaluating sea urchin gonad microbial quality. Identifying key genera enhances insights into potential SSOs and human pathogens, enhancing food safety considerations in the consumption of raw or lightly processed sea urchin gonads and guiding the development of preservation methods to extend shelf life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dionysios Tsoukalas
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Imen Hamed
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Sunniva Hoel
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Jørgen Lerfall
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Anita Nordeng Jakobsen
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway
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Ruiz-Barrionuevo JM, Kardas E, Rodríguez-Barreras R, Quiñones-Otero MA, Ruiz-Diaz CP, Toledo-Hernández C, Godoy-Vitorino F. Shifts in the gut microbiota of sea urchin Diadema antillarum associated with the 2022 disease outbreak. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1409729. [PMID: 39135877 PMCID: PMC11317302 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1409729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction In recent decades, Caribbean coral reefs have lost many vital marine species due to diseases. The well-documented mass mortality event of the long-spined black sea urchin Diadema antillarum in the early 1980s stands out among these collapses. This die-off killed over 90% of D. antillarum changing the reefscape from coral to algal-dominated. Nearly 40 years later, D. antillarum populations have yet to recover. In early 2022, a new mortality event of D. antillarum was reported along the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico. Methods This study identifies the gut microbiota changes associated with the D. antillarum during this mortality event. It contrasts them with the bacterial composition of gut samples from healthy individuals collected in 2019 by using 16S rRNA sequencing analyses. Results Notably, the die-off group's core microbiome resembled bacteria commonly found in the human skin and gut, suggesting potential anthropogenic contamination and wastewater pollution as contributing factors to the 2022 dysbiosis. The animals collected in 2022, especially those with signs of disease, lacked keystone taxa normally found in Diadema including Photobacterium and Propionigenium. Discussion The association between human microbes and disease stages in the long-spined urchin D. antillarum, especially in relation to anthropogenic contamination, highlights a complex interplay between environmental stressors and marine health. While these microbes might not be the direct cause of death in this species of sea urchins, their presence and proliferation can indicate underlying issues, such as immune depletion due to pollution, habitat destruction, or climate change, that ultimately compromise the health of these marine organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana M. Ruiz-Barrionuevo
- Instituto de Ecología Regional (IER), Universidad Nacional de Tucumán (UNT)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Tucumán, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán (UNT), Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Elif Kardas
- Department of Microbiology, University of Puerto Rico, School of Medicine, San Juan, PR, United States
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras campus, San Juan, PR, United States
| | - Ruber Rodríguez-Barreras
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez campus, Mayagüez, PR, United States
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico at Bayamón, Bayamón, PR, United States
| | - Marcos A. Quiñones-Otero
- Planning Department, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, San Juan, PR, United States
- Sociedad Ambiente Marino, San Juan, PR, United States
| | | | | | - Filipa Godoy-Vitorino
- Department of Microbiology, University of Puerto Rico, School of Medicine, San Juan, PR, United States
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Ugarelli K, Campbell JE, Rhoades OK, Munson CJ, Altieri AH, Douglass JG, Heck KL, Paul VJ, Barry SC, Christ L, Fourqurean JW, Frazer TK, Linhardt ST, Martin CW, McDonald AM, Main VA, Manuel SA, Marco-Méndez C, Reynolds LK, Rodriguez A, Rodriguez Bravo LM, Sawall Y, Smith K, Wied WL, Choi CJ, Stingl U. Microbiomes of Thalassia testudinum throughout the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico are influenced by site and region while maintaining a core microbiome. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1357797. [PMID: 38463486 PMCID: PMC10920284 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1357797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Plant microbiomes are known to serve several important functions for their host, and it is therefore important to understand their composition as well as the factors that may influence these microbial communities. The microbiome of Thalassia testudinum has only recently been explored, and studies to-date have primarily focused on characterizing the microbiome of plants in a single region. Here, we present the first characterization of the composition of the microbial communities of T. testudinum across a wide geographical range spanning three distinct regions with varying physicochemical conditions. We collected samples of leaves, roots, sediment, and water from six sites throughout the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico. We then analyzed these samples using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. We found that site and region can influence the microbial communities of T. testudinum, while maintaining a plant-associated core microbiome. A comprehensive comparison of available microbial community data from T. testudinum studies determined a core microbiome composed of 14 ASVs that consisted mostly of the family Rhodobacteraceae. The most abundant genera in the microbial communities included organisms with possible plant-beneficial functions, like plant-growth promoting taxa, disease suppressing taxa, and nitrogen fixers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Ugarelli
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL, United States
| | - Justin E Campbell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environment, Coastlines and Oceans Division, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
- Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL, United States
| | - O Kennedy Rhoades
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environment, Coastlines and Oceans Division, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
- Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL, United States
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Calvin J Munson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environment, Coastlines and Oceans Division, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
| | - Andrew H Altieri
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - James G Douglass
- The Water School, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL, United States
| | - Kenneth L Heck
- Dauphin Island Sea Lab, University of South Alabama, Dauphin Island, AL, United States
| | - Valerie J Paul
- Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL, United States
| | - Savanna C Barry
- University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Nature Coast Biological Station, University of Florida, Cedar Key, FL, United States
| | | | - James W Fourqurean
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environment, Coastlines and Oceans Division, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Thomas K Frazer
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL, United States
| | - Samantha T Linhardt
- Dauphin Island Sea Lab, University of South Alabama, Dauphin Island, AL, United States
| | - Charles W Martin
- Dauphin Island Sea Lab, University of South Alabama, Dauphin Island, AL, United States
- University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Nature Coast Biological Station, University of Florida, Cedar Key, FL, United States
| | - Ashley M McDonald
- Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL, United States
- University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Nature Coast Biological Station, University of Florida, Cedar Key, FL, United States
- Soil and Water Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Vivienne A Main
- Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL, United States
- International Field Studies, Inc., Andros, Bahamas
| | - Sarah A Manuel
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of Bermuda, Hamilton Parish, Bermuda
| | - Candela Marco-Méndez
- Dauphin Island Sea Lab, University of South Alabama, Dauphin Island, AL, United States
- Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (Spanish National Research Council), Girona, Spain
| | - Laura K Reynolds
- Soil, Water and Ecosystem Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Alex Rodriguez
- Dauphin Island Sea Lab, University of South Alabama, Dauphin Island, AL, United States
| | | | - Yvonne Sawall
- Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), St. George's, Bermuda
| | - Khalil Smith
- Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL, United States
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of Bermuda, Hamilton Parish, Bermuda
| | - William L Wied
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environment, Coastlines and Oceans Division, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
- Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL, United States
| | - Chang Jae Choi
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL, United States
| | - Ulrich Stingl
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL, United States
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Vazquez-Medina A, Rodriguez-Trujillo N, Ayuso-Rodriguez K, Marini-Martinez F, Angeli-Morales R, Caussade-Silvestrini G, Godoy-Vitorino F, Chorna N. Exploring the interplay between running exercises, microbial diversity, and tryptophan metabolism along the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1326584. [PMID: 38318337 PMCID: PMC10838991 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1326584] [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: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The emergent recognition of the gut-brain axis connection has shed light on the role of the microbiota in modulating the gut-brain axis's functions. Several microbial metabolites, such as serotonin, kynurenine, tryptamine, indole, and their derivatives originating from tryptophan metabolism have been implicated in influencing this axis. In our study, we aimed to investigate the impact of running exercises on microbial tryptophan metabolism using a mouse model. We conducted a multi-omics analysis to obtain a comprehensive insight into the changes in tryptophan metabolism along the microbiota-gut-brain axis induced by running exercises. The analyses integrated multiple components, such as tryptophan changes and metabolite levels in the gut, blood, hippocampus, and brainstem. Fecal microbiota analysis aimed to examine the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota, and taxon-function analysis explored the associations between specific microbial taxa and functional activities in tryptophan metabolism. Our findings revealed significant alterations in tryptophan metabolism across multiple sites, including the gut, blood, hippocampus, and brainstem. The outcomes indicate a shift in microbiota diversity and tryptophan metabolizing capabilities within the running group, linked to increased tryptophan transportation to the hippocampus and brainstem through circulation. Moreover, the symbiotic association between Romboutsia and A. muciniphila indicated their potential contribution to modifying the gut microenvironment and influencing tryptophan transport to the hippocampus and brainstem. These findings have potential applications for developing microbiota-based approaches in the context of exercise for neurological diseases, especially on mental health and overall well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Vazquez-Medina
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Nicole Rodriguez-Trujillo
- Nutrition and Dietetics Program, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Kiara Ayuso-Rodriguez
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | | | - Roberto Angeli-Morales
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | | | - Filipa Godoy-Vitorino
- Department of Microbiology and Medical Zoology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Nataliya Chorna
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
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Du H, Pan J, Zhang C, Yang X, Wang C, Lin X, Li J, Liu W, Zhou H, Yu X, Mo S, Zhang G, Zhao G, Qu W, Jiang C, Tian Y, He Z, Liu Y, Li M. Analogous assembly mechanisms and functional guilds govern prokaryotic communities in mangrove ecosystems of China and South America. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0157723. [PMID: 37668400 PMCID: PMC10580968 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01577-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
As an important coastal "blue carbon sink," mangrove ecosystems contain microbial communities with an as-yet-unknown high species diversity. Exploring the assemblage and structure of sediment microbial communities therein can aid in a better understanding of their ecosystem functioning, such as carbon sequestration and other biogeochemical cycles in mangrove wetlands. However, compared to other biomes, the study of mangrove sediment microbiomes is limited, especially in diverse mangrove ecosystems at a large spatial scale, which may harbor microbial communities with distinct compositions and functioning. Here, we analyzed 380 sediment samples from 13 and 8 representative mangrove ecosystems, respectively, in China and South America and compared their microbial features. Although the microbial community compositions exhibited strong distinctions, the community assemblage in the two locations followed analogous patterns: the assemblages of the entire community, abundant taxa, rare taxa, and generalists were predominantly driven by stochastic processes with significant distance-decay patterns, while the assembly of specialists was more likely related to the behaviors of other organisms in or surrounding the mangrove ecosystems. In addition, co-occurrence and topological network analysis of mangrove sediment microbiomes underlined the dominance of sulfate-reducing prokaryotes in both the regions. Moreover, we found that more than 70% of the keystone and hub taxa were sulfate-reducing prokaryotes, implying their important roles in maintaining the linkage and stability of the mangrove sediment microbial communities. This study fills a gap in the large-scale analysis of microbiome features covering distantly located and diverse mangrove ecosystems. Here, we propose a suggestion to the Mangrove Microbiome Initiative that 16S rRNA sequencing protocols should be standardized with a unified primer to facilitate the global-scale analysis of mangrove microbiomes and further comparisons with the reference data sets from other biomes.IMPORTANCEMangrove wetlands are important ecosystems possessing valuable ecological functions for carbon storage, species diversity maintenance, and coastline stabilization. These functions are greatly driven or supported by microorganisms that make essential contributions to biogeochemical cycles in mangrove ecosystems. The mechanisms governing the microbial community assembly, structure, and functions are vital to microbial ecology but remain unclear. Moreover, studying these mechanisms of mangrove microbiomes at a large spatial scale can provide a more comprehensive insight into their universal features and can help untangle microbial interaction patterns and microbiome functions. In this study, we compared the mangrove microbiomes in a large spatial range and found that the assembly patterns and key functional guilds of the Chinese and South American mangrove microbiomes were analogous. The entire communities exhibited significant distance-decay patterns and were strongly governed by stochastic processes, while the assemblage of specialists may be merely associated with the behaviors of the organisms in mangrove ecosystems. Furthermore, our results highlight the dominance of sulfate-reducing prokaryotes in mangrove microbiomes and their key roles in maintaining the stability of community structure and functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Du
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jie Pan
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Xbiome Biotech Co. Ltd., Shenzhen, China
| | - Cuijing Zhang
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xilan Yang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen, China
- Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Cheng Wang
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, China
- State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaolan Lin
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Jinhui Li
- National Engineering Research Center for Non-Food Biorefinery, Guangxi Research Center for Biological Science and Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning, China
| | - Wan Liu
- National Genomics Data Center& Bio-Med Big Data Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai, China
| | - Haokui Zhou
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen, China
- Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaoli Yu
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, China
- State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shuming Mo
- National Engineering Research Center for Non-Food Biorefinery, Guangxi Research Center for Biological Science and Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning, China
| | - Guoqing Zhang
- National Genomics Data Center& Bio-Med Big Data Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai, China
| | - Guoping Zhao
- National Genomics Data Center& Bio-Med Big Data Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai, China
- Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wu Qu
- Marine Science and Technology College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Chengjian Jiang
- National Engineering Research Center for Non-Food Biorefinery, Guangxi Research Center for Biological Science and Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning, China
| | - Yun Tian
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Zhili He
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, China
- State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Meng Li
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
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Vargas-Robles D, Romaguera J, Alvarado-Velez I, Tosado-Rodríguez E, Dominicci-Maura A, Sanchez M, Wiggin KJ, Martinez-Ferrer M, Gilbert JA, Forney LJ, Godoy-Vitorino F. The cervical microbiota of Hispanics living in Puerto Rico is nonoptimal regardless of HPV status. mSystems 2023; 8:e0035723. [PMID: 37534938 PMCID: PMC10469956 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00357-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The cervicovaginal microbiota is influenced by host physiology, immunology, lifestyle, and ethnicity. We hypothesized that there would be differences in the cervicovaginal microbiota among pregnant, nonpregnant, and menopausal women living in Puerto Rico (PR) with and without human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cervical cancer. We specifically wanted to determine if the microbiota is associated with variations in cervical cytology. A total of 294 women, including reproductive-age nonpregnant (N = 196), pregnant (N = 37), and menopausal (N = 61) women, were enrolled. The cervicovaginal bacteria were characterized by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, the HPV was genotyped with SPF10-LiPA, and cervical cytology was quantified. High-risk HPV (HR-HPV, 67.3%) was prevalent, including genotypes not covered by the 9vt HPV vaccine. Cervical lesions (34%) were also common. The cervical microbiota was dominated by Lactobacillus iners. Pregnant women in the second and third trimesters exhibited a decrease in diversity and abundance of microbes associated with bacterial vaginosis. Women in menopause had greater alpha diversity, a greater proportion of facultative and strictly anaerobic bacteria, and higher cervicovaginal pH than premenopausal women. Cervical lesions were associated with greater alpha diversity. However, no significant associations between the microbiota and HPV infection (HR or LR-HPV types) were found. The cervicovaginal microbiota of women living in Puerto Rican were either dominated by L. iners or diverse microbial communities regardless of a woman's physiological stage. We postulate that the microbiota and the high prevalence of HR-HPV increase the risk of cervical lesions among women living in PR. IMPORTANCE In the enclosed manuscript, we provide the first in-depth characterization of the cervicovaginal microbiota of Hispanic women living in Puerto Rico (PR), using a 16S rRNA approach, and include women of different physiological stages. Surprisingly we found that high-risk HPV was ubiquitous with a prevalence of 67.3%, including types not covered by the 9vt HPV vaccine. We also found highly diverse microbial communities across women groups-with a reduction in pregnant women, but dominated by nonoptimal Lactobacillus iners. Additionally, we found vaginosis-associated bacteria as Dialister spp., Gardnerella spp., Clostridium, or Prevotella among most women. We believe this is a relevant and timely article expanding knowledge on the cervicovaginal microbiome of PR women, where we postulate that these highly diverse communities are conducive to cervical disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Vargas-Robles
- Department of Microbiology and Medical Zoology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Josefina Romaguera
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Ian Alvarado-Velez
- Department of Microbiology and Medical Zoology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Eduardo Tosado-Rodríguez
- Department of Microbiology and Medical Zoology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Anelisse Dominicci-Maura
- Department of Microbiology and Medical Zoology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Maria Sanchez
- University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Kara J. Wiggin
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | | | - Jack A. Gilbert
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Larry J. Forney
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Filipa Godoy-Vitorino
- Department of Microbiology and Medical Zoology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
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7
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Kardas E, González-Rosario AM, Giray T, Ackerman JD, Godoy-Vitorino F. Gut microbiota variation of a tropical oil-collecting bee species far exceeds that of the honeybee. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1122489. [PMID: 37266018 PMCID: PMC10229882 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1122489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Interest for bee microbiota has recently been rising, alleviating the gap in knowledge in regard to drivers of solitary bee gut microbiota. However, no study has addressed the microbial acquisition routes of tropical solitary bees. For both social and solitary bees, the gut microbiota has several essential roles such as food processing and immune responses. While social bees such as honeybees maintain a constant gut microbiota by direct transmission from individuals of the same hive, solitary bees do not have direct contact between generations. They thus acquire their gut microbiota from the environment and/or the provision of their brood cell. To establish the role of life history in structuring the gut microbiota of solitary bees, we characterized the gut microbiota of Centris decolorata from a beach population in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. Females provide the initial brood cell provision for the larvae, while males patrol the nest without any contact with it. We hypothesized that this behavior influences their gut microbiota, and that the origin of larval microbiota is from brood cell provisions. Methods We collected samples from adult females and males of C. decolorata (n = 10 each, n = 20), larvae (n = 4), and brood cell provisions (n = 10). For comparison purposes, we also sampled co-occurring female foragers of social Apis mellifera (n = 6). The samples were dissected, their DNA extracted, and gut microbiota sequenced using 16S rRNA genes. Pollen loads of A. mellifera and C. decolorata were analyzed and interactions between bee species and their plant resources were visualized using a pollination network. Results While we found the gut of A. mellifera contained the same phylotypes previously reported in the literature, we noted that the variability in the gut microbiota of solitary C. decolorata was significantly higher than that of social A. mellifera. Furthermore, the microbiota of adult C. decolorata mostly consisted of acetic acid bacteria whereas that of A. mellifera mostly had lactic acid bacteria. Among C. decolorata, we found significant differences in alpha and beta diversity between adults and their brood cell provisions (Shannon and Chao1 p < 0.05), due to the higher abundance of families such as Rhizobiaceae and Chitinophagaceae in the brood cells, and of Acetobacteraceae in adults. In addition, the pollination network analysis indicated that A. mellifera had a stronger interaction with Byrsonima sp. and a weaker interaction with Combretaceae while interactions between C. decolorata and its plant resources were constant with the null model. Conclusion Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that behavioral differences in brood provisioning between solitary and social bees is a factor leading to relatively high variation in the microbiota of the solitary bee.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elif Kardas
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Medical Zoology, School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, United States
| | | | - Tugrul Giray
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, United States
| | - James D. Ackerman
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, United States
| | - Filipa Godoy-Vitorino
- Department of Microbiology and Medical Zoology, School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, United States
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García-Amado MA, Rudolf CA, Fuentes-Fuentes MDM, Chorna N, Martínez LM, Godoy-Vitorino F. Bacterial composition along the digestive tract of the Horned Screamer ( Anhima cornuta), a tropical herbivorous bird. PeerJ 2023; 11:e14805. [PMID: 36815987 PMCID: PMC9933741 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The Horned Screamer (Anhima cornuta) is an herbivorous bird that inhabits wetlands of the South American tropical region. We hypothesize that due to its herbivorous niche, its digestive tract compartments may have bacteria specialized in fermenting complex plant carbohydrates. To test this hypothesis, we compared the bacterial communities along the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of a Horned Screamer captured in Venezuela. Methods Samples were taken from tissues and content of the proventriculus and the small intestine (considered for this study as upper GIT), and the large intestine and cecum (lower GIT). The bacterial community was characterized by sequencing the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Bioinformatic analysis was performed using QIIME, QIITA and Microbiome Analyst. The association between microbial taxonomy and function was analyzed using their Greengenes OTU IDs and a custom KEGG BRITE hierarchical tree and visualized with BURRITO. Results The Screamer's gastrointestinal microbiota was composed by seven phyla being Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes the most predominant. The dominant taxa in the upper GIT were Helicobacter, Vibrio, Enterobacter, Acinetobacter and Staphylococcus. The dominant taxa in the lower GIT were Oribacterium, Blautia, Roseburia, Ruminococcus, Desulfovibrio, Intestinimonas, Marvinbryantia and Parabacteroides. Complete degradation of cellulose to the end-products acetate, propanoate, butanoate and acetoacetate was found in the upper and lower GIT without significant differences. Conclusion Our study confirmed changes in bacterial community composition throughout the GIT of the Horned Screamer primarily associated with the production of metabolic end-products of carbohydrate digestion essential for the fermentation of the herbivorous diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Alexandra García-Amado
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Gastrointestinal, Centro de Biofísica y Bioquímica, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Miranda, Venezuela
| | - Carla A. Rudolf
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Gastrointestinal, Centro de Biofísica y Bioquímica, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Miranda, Venezuela
| | | | - Nataliya Chorna
- Biochemistry Department, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, PR, Puerto Rico
| | | | - Filipa Godoy-Vitorino
- Microbiology Department, University of Puerto Rico, School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
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Rodríguez-Barreras R, Dominicci-Maura A, Tosado-Rodríguez EL, Godoy-Vitorino F. The Epibiotic Microbiota of Wild Caribbean Sea Urchin Spines Is Species Specific. Microorganisms 2023; 11:391. [PMID: 36838357 PMCID: PMC9966300 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11020391] [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: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Caribbean sea urchins are marine invertebrates that have experienced a decline over the years. Studies on sea urchins have focused primarily on the microbiome of the coelomic fluid or the gut microbiota. In this study, the epibiota community associated with four wild Caribbean sea urchin species, Lytechinus variegatus, Echinometra lucunter, Tripneustes ventricosus, and Diadema antillarum, was characterized for the first time. Using 57 sea urchin animal samples, we evaluated the influence of animal species, trophic niches, and geographical location on the composition of the epibiotic microbiota. We found significant differences in the bacterial biota among species and trophic niches, but not among geographical locations. L. variegatus exhibited the highest alpha diversity with high dominance of Fusobacteria, Planctomycetes, and Cyanobacteria, whereas T. ventricosus and D. antillarum were dominated by Firmicutes. T. ventricosus inhabiting the seagrass biotope dominated by Thalassia testudinum meadows had mostly Endozoicomonas. In contrast, samples located in the reef (dominated by corals and other reef builders) had a higher abundance of Kistimonas and Photobacterium. Our findings confirm that the epibiotic microbiota is species-specific, but also niche-dependent, revealing the trophic networks emerging from the organic matter being recycled in the seagrass and reef niches. As echinoids are important grazers of benthic communities, their microbiota will likely influence ecosystem processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruber Rodríguez-Barreras
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus, P.O. Box 9000, Mayagüez 00681-9000, Puerto Rico
| | - Anelisse Dominicci-Maura
- Department of Microbiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, Guillermo Arbona Main Building, San Juan 00936-5067, Puerto Rico
| | - Eduardo L. Tosado-Rodríguez
- Department of Microbiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, Guillermo Arbona Main Building, San Juan 00936-5067, Puerto Rico
| | - Filipa Godoy-Vitorino
- Department of Microbiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, Guillermo Arbona Main Building, San Juan 00936-5067, Puerto Rico
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