Induced Immune Reaction in the Acorn Worm, Saccoglossus kowalevskii, Informs the Evolution of Antiviral Immunity.

Evolutionary perspectives on the deployment of immune factors following infection have been shaped by studies on a limited number of biomedical model systems with a heavy emphasis on vertebrate species. Although their contributions to contemporary immunology cannot be understated, a broader phylogenetic perspective is needed to understand the evolution of immune systems across Metazoa. In our study, we leverage differential gene expression analyses to identify genes implicated in the antiviral immune response of the acorn worm hemichordate, Saccoglossus kowalevskii, and place them in the context of immunity evolution within deuterostomes-the animal clade composed of chordates, hemichordates, and echinoderms.

Double-edged sword: impact of fecal microbiome transplants on the gut resistome.

Purpose Of Review: Fecal microbiome transplants (FMT) show promise in treating various diseases, such as Clostridioides difficile infections. FMT have also demonstrated the capacity to modulate the collection of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), termed the resistome, within the gut. The purpose of this review was to critically evaluate the literature regarding the interaction between FMT and the gut resistome and determine whether FMT could be used specifically to reduce ARG carriage in the gut.

Longitudinal Analysis of the Intestinal Microbiota in the Obese Mangalica Pig Reveals Alterations in Bacteria and Bacteriophage Populations Associated With Changes in Body Composition and Diet.

Due to its immunomodulatory potential, the intestinal microbiota has been implicated as a contributing factor in the development of the meta-inflammatory state that drives obesity-associated insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. A better understanding of this link would facilitate the development of targeted treatments and therapies to treat the metabolic complications of obesity. To this end, we validated and utilized a novel swine model of obesity, the Mangalica pig, to characterize changes in the gut microbiota during the development of an obese phenotype, and in response to dietary differences.

Maternal Dietary Protein Intake Influences Milk and Offspring Gut Microbial Diversity in a Rat () Model.

Historically, investigators have assumed microorganisms identified in mother's milk to be contaminants, but recent data suggest that milk microbiota may contribute to beneficial maternal effects. Microorganisms that colonize the gastrointestinal tracts of newborn mammals are derived, at least in part, from the maternal microbial population. Milk-derived microbiota is an important source of this microbial inocula and we hypothesized that the maternal diet contributes to variation in this microbial community.