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Meriggi N, Russo A, Renzi S, Cerasuolo B, Nerini M, Ugolini A, Marvasi M, Cavalieri D. Enhancing seafood traceability: tracking the origin of seabass and seabream from the tuscan coast area by the analysis of the gill bacterial communities. Anim Microbiome 2024; 6:13. [PMID: 38486253 PMCID: PMC10938666 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-024-00300-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The seafood consumption and trade have increased over the years, and along its expected expansion pose major challenges to the seafood industry and government institutions. In particular, the global trade in fish products and the consequent consumption are linked to reliable authentication, necessary to guarantee lawful trade and healthy consumption. Alterations or errors in this process can lead to commercial fraud and/or health threats. Consequently, the development of new investigative tools became crucial in ensuring unwanted scenarios. Here we used NGS techniques through targeted metagenomics approach on the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA genes to characterize the gill bacterial communities in wild-caught seabream (Sparus aurata) and seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) within different fisheries areas of the "Costa degli Etruschi'' area in the Tuscan coast. Our challenge involved the possibility of discriminating between the microbiota of both fish species collected from three different fishing sites very close to each other (all within 100 km) in important areas from a commercial and tourist point of view. RESULTS Our results showed a significant difference in the assembly of gill bacterial communities in terms of diversity (alpha and beta diversity) of both seabass and seabream in accordance with the three fishing areas. These differences were represented by a unique site -related bacterial signature, more evident in seabream compared to the seabass. Accordingly, the core membership of seabream specimens within the three different sites was minimal compared to the seabass which showed a greater number of sequence variants shared among the different fishing sites. Therefore, the LRT analysis highlighted the possibility of obtaining specific fish bacterial signatures associated with each site; it is noteworthy that specific taxa showed a unique association with the fishing site regardless of the fish species. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of target-metagenomic sequencing of gills in discriminating bacterial signatures of specimens collected from fishing areas located at a limited distance to each other. CONCLUSIONS This study provides new information relating the structure of the gill microbiota of seabass and seabream in a fishing area with a crucial commercial and tourist interest, namely "Costa degli Etruschi". This study demonstrated that microbiome-based approaches can represent an important tool for validating the seafood origins with a central applicative perspective in the seafood traceability system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niccolò Meriggi
- Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology (IBBA), National Research Council (CNR), Pisa, IT56124, Italia
| | - Alessandro Russo
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, IT50019, Italy
| | - Sonia Renzi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, IT50019, Italy
| | - Benedetta Cerasuolo
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, IT50019, Italy
| | - Marta Nerini
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, IT50019, Italy
| | - Alberto Ugolini
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, IT50125, Italia
| | | | - Duccio Cavalieri
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, IT50019, Italy.
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2
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Nenciarini S, Renzi S, di Paola M, Meriggi N, Cavalieri D. Ascomycetes yeasts: The hidden part of human microbiome. WIREs Mech Dis 2024:e1641. [PMID: 38228159 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
The fungal component of the microbiota, the mycobiota, has been neglected for a long time due to its poor richness compared to bacteria. Limitations in fungal detection and taxonomic identification arise from using metagenomic approaches, often borrowed from bacteriome analyses. However, the relatively recent discoveries of the ability of fungi to modulate the host immune response and their involvement in human diseases have made mycobiota a fundamental component of the microbial communities inhabiting the human host, deserving some consideration in host-microbe interaction studies and in metagenomics. Here, we reviewed recent data on the identification of yeasts of the Ascomycota phylum across human body districts, focusing on the most representative genera, that is, Saccharomyces and Candida. Then, we explored the key factors involved in shaping the human mycobiota across the lifespan, ranging from host genetics to environment, diet, and lifestyle habits. Finally, we discussed the strengths and weaknesses of culture-dependent and independent methods for mycobiota characterization. Overall, there is still room for some improvements, especially regarding fungal-specific methodological approaches and bioinformatics challenges, which are still critical steps in mycobiota analysis, and to advance our knowledge on the role of the gut mycobiota in human health and disease. This article is categorized under: Immune System Diseases > Genetics/Genomics/Epigenetics Immune System Diseases > Environmental Factors Infectious Diseases > Environmental Factors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sonia Renzi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Monica di Paola
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Niccolò Meriggi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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3
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Nenciarini S, Renzi S, di Paola M, Meriggi N, Cavalieri D. The yeast-human coevolution: Fungal transition from passengers, colonizers, and invaders. WIREs Mech Dis 2023:e1639. [PMID: 38146626 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
Fungi are the cause of more than a billion infections in humans every year, although their interactions with the host are still neglected compared to bacteria. Major systemic fungal infections are very unusual in the healthy population, due to the long history of coevolution with the human host. Humans are routinely exposed to environmental fungi and can host a commensal mycobiota, which is increasingly considered as a key player in health and disease. Here, we review the current knowledge on host-fungi coevolution and the factors that regulate their interaction. On one hand, fungi have learned to survive and inhabit the host organisms as a natural ecosystem, on the other hand, the host immune system finely tunes the response toward fungi. In turn, recognition of fungi as commensals or pathogens regulates the host immune balance in health and disease. In the human gut ecosystem, yeasts provide a fingerprint of the transient microbiota. Their status as passengers or colonizers is related to the integrity of the gut barrier and the risk of multiple disorders. Thus, the study of this less known component of the microbiota could unravel the rules of the transition from passengers to colonizers and invaders, as well as their dependence on the innate component of the host's immune response. This article is categorized under: Infectious Diseases > Environmental Factors Immune System Diseases > Environmental Factors Infectious Diseases > Molecular and Cellular Physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sonia Renzi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Monica di Paola
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Niccolò Meriggi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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4
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Bacci G, Meriggi N, Cheng CLY, Ng KH, Iannucci A, Mengoni A, Cavalieri D, Cannicci S, Fratini S. Species-specific gill's microbiome of eight crab species with different breathing adaptations. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21033. [PMID: 38030652 PMCID: PMC10687215 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48308-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Transitions to physically different environments, such as the water-to-land transition, proved to be the main drivers of relevant evolutionary events. Brachyuran crabs evolved remarkable morphological, behavioral, and physiological adaptations to terrestrial life. Terrestrial species evolved new respiratory structures devoted to replace or support the gills, a multifunctional organ devoted to gas exchanges, ion-regulation and nitrogen excretion. It was hypothesized that microorganisms associated with respiratory apparatus could have facilitated the processes of osmoregulation, respiration, and elimination of metabolites along this evolutionary transition. To test if crab species with different breathing adaptations may host similar microbial communities on their gills, we performed a comparative targeted-metagenomic analysis, selecting two marine and six terrestrial crabs belonging to different families and characterised by different breathing adaptations. We analysed anterior and posterior gills separately according to their different and specific roles. Regardless of their terrestrial or marine adaptations, microbial assemblages were strongly species-specific indicating a non-random association between the host and its microbiome. Significant differences were found in only two terrestrial species when considering posterior vs. anterior gills, without any association with species-specific respiratory adaptations. Our results suggest that all the selected species are strongly adapted to the ecological niche and specific micro-habitat they colonise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Bacci
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Niccolò Meriggi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Christine L Y Cheng
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China
| | - Ka Hei Ng
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China
| | - Alessio Iannucci
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - Alessio Mengoni
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Duccio Cavalieri
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - Stefano Cannicci
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China.
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133, Palermo, Italy.
| | - Sara Fratini
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133, Palermo, Italy
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Di Paola M, Gori A, Stefanini I, Meriggi N, Renzi S, Nenciarini S, Cerasuolo B, Moriondo M, Romoli R, Pieraccini G, Baracchi D, Turillazzi F, Turillazzi S, Cavalieri D. Using wasps as a tool to restore a functioning vine grape mycobiota and preserve the mycobial "terroir". Sci Rep 2023; 13:16544. [PMID: 37783736 PMCID: PMC10545793 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43541-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last one-hundred years, the exponential expansion of wine making has artificialized the agricultural landscape as well as its microbial diversity, spreading human selected Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. Evidence showed that social wasps can harbor a significant fraction of the yeast phenotypic diversity of a given area of wine production, allowing different strains to overwinter and mate in their gut. The integrity of the wasp-yeast ecological interaction is of paramount importance to maintain the resilience of microbial populations associated to wine aromatic profiles. In a field experiment, we verified whether Polistes dominula wasps, reared in laboratory and fed with a traceable S. cerevisiae strain, could be a useful tool to drive the controlled yeast dispersion directly on grapes. The demonstration of the biotechnological potential of social insects in organic wine farming lays the foundations for multiple applications including maintenance of microbial biodiversity and rewilding vineyards through the introduction of wasp associated microbiomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Di Paola
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, via Madonna del Piano 6, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Florence, Italy
| | - Agnese Gori
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, via Madonna del Piano 6, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Florence, Italy
| | - Irene Stefanini
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Niccolò Meriggi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, via Madonna del Piano 6, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Florence, Italy
| | - Sonia Renzi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, via Madonna del Piano 6, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Florence, Italy
| | - Stefano Nenciarini
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, via Madonna del Piano 6, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Florence, Italy
| | - Benedetta Cerasuolo
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, via Madonna del Piano 6, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Florence, Italy
| | - Marco Moriondo
- National Research Council, Bioeconomy Institute, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Florence, Italy
| | - Riccardo Romoli
- Mass Spectrometry Centre (CISM), University of Florence, via U. Schiff, 6, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Florence, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Pieraccini
- Mass Spectrometry Centre (CISM), University of Florence, via U. Schiff, 6, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Florence, Italy
| | - David Baracchi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, via Madonna del Piano 6, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Florence, Italy
| | - Francesco Turillazzi
- LABREMMA-Laboratory for Medical Entomotherapy, Microbiology and Environment, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Florence, Italy
| | - Stefano Turillazzi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, via Madonna del Piano 6, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Florence, Italy
- LABREMMA-Laboratory for Medical Entomotherapy, Microbiology and Environment, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Florence, Italy
| | - Duccio Cavalieri
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, via Madonna del Piano 6, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Florence, Italy.
- LABREMMA-Laboratory for Medical Entomotherapy, Microbiology and Environment, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Florence, Italy.
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Bacci G, Fratini S, Meriggi N, Cheng CLY, Ng KH, Pindo M, Iannucci A, Mengoni A, Cavalieri D, Cannicci S. Conserved organ-specific microbial assemblages in different populations of a terrestrial crab. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1113617. [PMID: 37378290 PMCID: PMC10291174 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1113617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms are ubiquitous in the environment and provide genetic and physiological functions to multicellular organisms. Knowledge on the associated microbiota is becoming highly relevant to understand the host's ecology and biology. Among invertebrates, many examples of endosymbiosis have been described, such as those in corals, ants, and termites. At present, however, little is known on the presence, diversity, and putative roles of the microbiota associated to brachyuran crabs in relation to their environment. In this work we investigated the associated microbiota of three populations of the terrestrial brachyuran crab Chiromantes haematocheir to find evidence of a conserved organ-specific microbiome unrelated to the population of origin and dissimilar from environmental microbial assemblages. Bacterial 16S rRNA gene and fungal ITS sequences were obtained from selected crab organs and environmental matrices to profile microbial communities. Despite the presence of truly marine larval stages and the absence of a gregarious behaviour, favouring microbiota exchanges, we found common, organ-specific microbiota, associated with the gut and the gills of crabs from the different populations (with more than 15% of the genera detected specifically enriched only in one organ). These findings suggest the presence of possible functional roles of the organ-specific microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Bacci
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Sara Fratini
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - Niccolò Meriggi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | | | - Ka Hei Ng
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - Massimo Pindo
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Alessio Iannucci
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - Alessio Mengoni
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Duccio Cavalieri
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - Stefano Cannicci
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
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7
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Turillazzi S, Meriggi N, Cavalieri D. Mutualistic Relationships between Microorganisms and Eusocial Wasps (Hymenoptera, Vespidae). Microorganisms 2023; 11:1340. [PMID: 37317314 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11051340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Eusocial wasps are represented in the Vespidae by the subfamilies Stenogastrinae, Vespinae and Polistinae. These wasps present colonies that are sometimes composed of thousands of individuals which live in nests built with paper materials. The high density of the adult and larval population, as well as the stable micro environment of the nests, make very favourable conditions for the flourishing of various types of microorganisms. These microorganisms, which may be pathogens, are beneficial and certainly contribute to model the sociality of these insects. The mutualistic relationships that we observe in some species, especially in Actinomycete bacteria and yeasts, could have important fallouts for the development of new medicines and for the use of these insects in agricultural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Turillazzi
- Department of Biology, University of Firenze, Via M. del Piano 6, 50019 Firenze, Italy
- Joint Laboratory LABREMMA, University of Firenze, Via M. del Piano 6, 50019 Firenze, Italy
- Insect Pharma Entomotherapy s.r.l., Via M. del Piano 6, 50019 Firenze, Italy
| | - Niccolò Meriggi
- Department of Biology, University of Firenze, Via M. del Piano 6, 50019 Firenze, Italy
- Joint Laboratory LABREMMA, University of Firenze, Via M. del Piano 6, 50019 Firenze, Italy
| | - Duccio Cavalieri
- Department of Biology, University of Firenze, Via M. del Piano 6, 50019 Firenze, Italy
- Joint Laboratory LABREMMA, University of Firenze, Via M. del Piano 6, 50019 Firenze, Italy
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Silvano A, Meriggi N, Renzi S, Seravalli V, Torcia MG, Cavalieri D, Di Tommaso M. Vaginal Microbiome in Pregnant Women with and without Short Cervix. Nutrients 2023; 15:2173. [PMID: 37432374 DOI: 10.3390/nu15092173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cervical shortening is a recognised risk factor for pre-term birth. The vaginal microbiome plays an essential role in pregnancy and in maternal and foetal outcomes. We studied the vaginal microbiome in 68 women with singleton gestation and a cervical length ≤25 mm and in 29 pregnant women with a cervix >25 mm in the second or early third trimester. Illumina protocol 16S Metagenomic Sequencing Library Preparation was used to detail amplified 16SrRNA gene. Statistical analyses were performed in R environment. Firmicutes was the phylum most represented in all pregnant women. The mean relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteriota was higher in women with a short cervix. Bacterial abundance was higher in women with a normal length cervix compared to the group of women with a short cervix. Nonetheless, a significant enrichment in bacterial taxa poorly represented in vaginal microbiome was observed in the group of women with a short cervix. Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas, taxa usually found in aerobic vaginitis, were more common in women with a short cervix compared with the control group, while Lactobacillus iners and Bifidobacterium were associated with a normal cervical length. Lactobacillus jensenii and Gardenerella vaginalis were associated with a short cervix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Silvano
- Department of Health Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Careggi Hospital, 50139 Florence, Italy
| | - Niccolò Meriggi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019 Florence, Italy
| | - Sonia Renzi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019 Florence, Italy
| | - Viola Seravalli
- Department of Health Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Careggi Hospital, 50139 Florence, Italy
| | - Maria Gabriella Torcia
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Firenze, 50139 Firenze, Italy
| | - Duccio Cavalieri
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019 Florence, Italy
| | - Mariarosaria Di Tommaso
- Department of Health Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Careggi Hospital, 50139 Florence, Italy
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Beani L, Mariotti Lippi M, Mulinacci N, Manfredini F, Cecchi L, Giuliani C, Tani C, Meriggi N, Cavalieri D, Cappa F. Altered feeding behavior and immune competence in paper wasps: A case of parasite manipulation? PLoS One 2020; 15:e0242486. [PMID: 33326432 PMCID: PMC7743958 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Paper wasps (Polistes dominula), parasitized by the strepsipteran Xenos vesparum, are castrated and desert the colony to gather on plants where the parasite mates and releases primary larvae, thus completing its lifecycle. One of these plants is the trumpet creeper Campsis radicans: in a previous study the majority of all wasps collected from this plant were parasitized and focused their foraging activity on C. radicans buds. The unexpected prevalence and unusual feeding strategy prompted us to investigate the influence of this plant on wasp behavior and physiology through a multidisciplinary approach. First, in a series of laboratory bioassays, we observed that parasitized wasps spent more time than non-parasitized ones on fresh C. radicans buds, rich of extra-floral nectaries (EFNs), while the same wasps ignored treated buds that lacked nectar drops. Then, we described the structure and ultra-structure of EFNs secreting cells, compatible with the synthesis of phenolic compounds. Subsequently, we analysed extracts from different bud tissues by HPLC-DAD-MS and found that verbascoside was the most abundant bioactive molecule in those tissues rich in EFNs. Finally, we tested the immune-stimulant properties of verbascoside, as the biochemical nature of this compound indicates it might function as an antibacterial and antioxidant. We measured bacterial clearance in wasps, as a proxy for overall immune competence, and observed that it was enhanced after administration of verbascoside-even more so if the wasp was parasitized. We hypothesize that the parasite manipulates wasp behavior to preferentially feed on C. radicans EFNs, since the bioactive properties of verbascoside likely increase host survival and thus the parasite own fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Beani
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italia
- * E-mail: (LB); (DC)
| | | | - Nadia Mulinacci
- Dipartimento di NEUROFARBA, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italia
| | - Fabio Manfredini
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, United Kingdom
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Lorenzo Cecchi
- Dipartimento di NEUROFARBA, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italia
| | - Claudia Giuliani
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italia
| | - Corrado Tani
- Dipartimento di NEUROFARBA, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italia
| | - Niccolò Meriggi
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italia
| | - Duccio Cavalieri
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italia
- * E-mail: (LB); (DC)
| | - Federico Cappa
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italia
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Cirigliano A, Mura F, Cecchini A, Tomassetti MC, Maras DF, Di Paola M, Meriggi N, Cavalieri D, Negri R, Quagliariello A, Hallsworth JE, Rinaldi T. Active microbial ecosystem in
Iron‐Age
tombs of the Etruscan civilization. Environ Microbiol 2020; 23:3957-3969. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Angela Cirigliano
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy
| | - Francesco Mura
- CNIS – Center for Nanotechnology Applied to Industry of La Sapienza Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy
| | - Adele Cecchini
- Associazione No Profit ‘Amici Delle Tombe Dipinte di Tarquinia’ Tarquinia Italy
| | | | - Daniele Federico Maras
- Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio per l'Area Metropolitana di Roma, la Provincia di Viterbo e l'Etruria Meridionale Ministero dei Beni e delle Attività Culturali e del Turismo Rome Italy
| | | | | | | | - Rodolfo Negri
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy
| | - Andrea Quagliariello
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science University of Padova Padova Italy
| | - John E. Hallsworth
- Institute for Global Food Security School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast Belfast UK
| | - Teresa Rinaldi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy
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Cini A, Meriggi N, Bacci G, Cappa F, Vitali F, Cavalieri D, Cervo R. Gut microbial composition in different castes and developmental stages of the invasive hornet Vespa velutina nigrithorax. Sci Total Environ 2020; 745:140873. [PMID: 32758760 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Social insects are successful animal invaders. Their survival and success, and in some cases also their impact on invaded ecosystem functioning, is often mediated by symbiosis with microorganisms. Here, we report a comprehensive comparative characterization of the gut microbial communities of different castes and developmental stages of the invasive hornet Vespa velutina nigrithorax. The species recently colonized Europe, becoming a high ecological and economic concern, as it threatens pollinator survival and competes with native hornet species. We used targeted meta-genomics to describe the yeasts and bacteria gut communities of individuals of different reproductive phenotypes (workers and future queens), life stages (larvae, newly emerged individuals and adults) and colony non-living samples (nest paper and larval faeces). Bacilli, Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria were the most abundant classes of bacteria, and Saccharomycetes, Dothideomycetes, Tremellomycetes and Eurotiomycetes were the most represented yeast classes. We found that the microbial compositions significantly differ across developmental stages and castes, with yeast and bacterial communities switching in frequency and abundance during ontogeny and according to reproductive phenotype. Moreover, the gut microbial communities poorly mirror those found in the nest, suggesting that hornets possess a specific microbial signature. Our results provide the first metagenomic resource of the microbiome of V. velutina in Europe and suggest the importance of considering life stages, reproductive phenotypes and nest influence in order to obtain a comprehensive picture of social insect microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Cini
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
| | - Niccolò Meriggi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano, 50019 Firenze, Italy
| | - Giovanni Bacci
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano, 50019 Firenze, Italy
| | - Federico Cappa
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano, 50019 Firenze, Italy
| | - Francesco Vitali
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano, 50019 Firenze, Italy; Institute of Biology and Agrarian Biotechnology, National Research Council (IBBA-CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Duccio Cavalieri
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano, 50019 Firenze, Italy.
| | - Rita Cervo
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano, 50019 Firenze, Italy
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12
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Di Paola M, Meriggi N, Cavalieri D. Applications of Wild Isolates of Saccharomyces Yeast for Industrial Fermentation: The Gut of Social Insects as Niche for Yeast Hybrids' Production. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:578425. [PMID: 33193200 PMCID: PMC7661385 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.578425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In the industry of fermented food and beverages, yeast cultures are often selected and standardized in order to ensure a better control of fermentation and a more stable product over time. Several studies have shown that the organoleptic characteristics of fermented products reflect geographic variations of the microbial community composition. Despite investigations of the worldwide distribution and genetic diversity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, it is still unclear how and to what extent human intervention has shaped the brewer’s yeast population structure. The genotypic and phenotypic characterization of environmental yeast populations and their potential application in the fermentative processes can significantly enrich the industrial fermentation products. Social insects have proven to be closely associated to the yeasts ecology. The relationships between yeasts and insects represent a fundamental aspect for understanding the ecological and evolutionary forces shaping their adaptation to different niches. Studies on phylogenetic relationships of S. cerevisiae populations showed genetic differences among strains isolated from gut and non-gut environments (i.e., natural sources and fermentation). Recent evidences showed that insect’s gut is a reservoir and an evolutionary niche for Saccharomyces, contributing to its survival and evolution, favoring its dispersion, mating and improving the inter-specific hybrids production during hibernation. Here, we discuss the potential use of social insects for production of a wide range of hybrid yeasts from environmental Saccharomyces isolates suitable for industrial and biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Di Paola
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Niccolò Meriggi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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13
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Cannicci S, Fratini S, Meriggi N, Bacci G, Iannucci A, Mengoni A, Cavalieri D. To the Land and Beyond: Crab Microbiomes as a Paradigm for the Evolution of Terrestrialization. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:575372. [PMID: 33117320 PMCID: PMC7575764 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.575372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The transition to terrestrial environments by formerly aquatic species has occurred repeatedly in many animal phyla and lead to the vast diversity of extant terrestrial species. The differences between aquatic and terrestrial habitats are enormous and involved remarkable morphological and physiological changes. Convergent evolution of various traits is evident among phylogenetically distant taxa, but almost no information is available about the role of symbiotic microbiota in such transition. Here, we suggest that intertidal and terrestrial brachyuran crabs are a perfect model to study the evolutionary pathways and the ecological role of animal-microbiome symbioses, since their transition to land is happening right now, through a number of independent lineages. The microorganisms colonizing the gut of intertidal and terrestrial crabs are expected to play a major role to conquer the land, by reducing water losses and permitting the utilization of novel food sources. Indeed, it has been shown that the microbiomes hosted in the digestive system of terrestrial isopods has been critical to digest plant items, but nothing is known about the microbiomes present in the gut of truly terrestrial crabs. Other important physiological regulations that could be facilitated by microbiomes are nitrogen excretion and osmoregulation in the new environment. We also advocate for advances in comparative and functional genomics to uncover physiological aspects of these ongoing evolutionary processes. We think that the multidisciplinary study of microorganisms associated with terrestrial crabs will shed a completely new light on the biological and physiological processes involved in the sea-land transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Cannicci
- Swire Institute of Marine Science and Division of Ecology and Biodiversity, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.,Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Sara Fratini
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Niccolò Meriggi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Giovanni Bacci
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Alessio Mengoni
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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14
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Meriggi N, Di Paola M, Vitali F, Rivero D, Cappa F, Turillazzi F, Gori A, Dapporto L, Beani L, Turillazzi S, Cavalieri D. Saccharomyces cerevisiae Induces Immune Enhancing and Shapes Gut Microbiota in Social Wasps. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2320. [PMID: 31681197 PMCID: PMC6803456 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Trained immunity is the enhanced response of the innate immune system to a secondary infection after an initial encounter with a microorganism. This non-specific response to reinfection is a primitive form of adaptation that has been shown to be conserved from plants to mammals. Insects lack an acquired immune component and rely solely on an innate one, and they have expanded it upon traits of plasticity and adaptation against pathogens in the form of immune priming. The recent discoveries of the role of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in the insect’s ecology and the ability of this yeast to induce trained immunity in different organisms suggest that insects could have developed mechanisms of adaptation and immune enhancing. Here, we report that two yeast strains of S. cerevisiae, previously shown to induce trained immunity in mammals, enhance resistance to Escherichia coli infection in the paper wasp Polistes dominula. The reduction of injected E. coli load by S. cerevisiae strains was statistically significant in future foundresses but not in workers, and this occurs before and after hibernation. We thus investigated if the effect on E. coli was mirrored by variation in the gut microbiota composition. Foundresses, showing immune enhancing, had statistically significant changes in composition and diversity of gut bacterial communities but not in the fungal communities. Our results demonstrate that S. cerevisiae can prime insect responses against bacterial infections, providing an advantage to future foundress wasps to carry these microorganisms. Understanding the mechanisms involved in the generation of specific and long-lasting immune response against pathogenic infections in insects and the influence of the induction of trained immunity on the commensal gut microbiota could have a major impact on modern immunology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niccolò Meriggi
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
| | - Monica Di Paola
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
| | - Francesco Vitali
- Istituto di Biologia e Biotecnologia Agraria, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pisa, Italy
| | - Damariz Rivero
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
| | - Federico Cappa
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
| | | | - Agnese Gori
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
| | - Leonardo Dapporto
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
| | - Laura Beani
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
| | - Stefano Turillazzi
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
| | - Duccio Cavalieri
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
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