Clostridioides difficile can transiently or persistently colonize the human gut, posing a risk for infections. This colonization is influenced by complex molecular and ecological interactions with the human gut microbiota. By investigating C.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnvironmental exposure to cold is increasingly being associated with changes in metabolism. We developed and tested the hypothesis that exposure to cold drives systemic effects in lipid metabolism. Specifically, (i) that energy storage and provision adapts to the cold by altering triglyceride distribution and (ii) that membranes adapt to cold conditions by becoming more unsaturated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFcan transiently or persistently colonize the human gut, posing a risk factor for infections. This colonization is influenced by complex molecular and ecological interactions with human gut microbiota. By investigating dynamics in human gut communities over hundreds of generations, we show patterns of stable coexistence, instability, or competitive exclusion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDietary protein is a critical regulator of metabolic health and aging. Low protein diets are associated with healthy aging in humans, and dietary protein restriction extends the lifespan and healthspan of mice. In this study, we examined the effect of protein restriction (PR) on metabolic health and the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the 3xTg mouse model of AD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRecent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified a link between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) near the MBOAT7 gene and advanced liver diseases. Specifically, the common MBOAT7 variant (rs641738) associated with reduced MBOAT7 expression is implicated in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD), and liver fibrosis. However, the precise mechanism underlying MBOAT7-driven liver disease progression remains elusive.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCold exposure is an environmental stress that elicits a rapid metabolic shift in endotherms and is required for survival. The liver provides metabolic flexibility through its ability to rewire lipid metabolism to respond to an increased demand in energy for thermogenesis. We leveraged cold exposure to identify novel lipids contributing to energy homeostasis and found that lysosomal bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate (BMP) lipids were significantly increased in the liver during acute cold exposure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDietary protein is a critical regulator of metabolic health and aging. Low protein diets are associated with healthy aging in humans, and many independent groups of researchers have shown that dietary protein restriction (PR) extends the lifespan and healthspan of mice. Here, we examined the effect of PR on metabolic health and the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the 3xTg mouse model of AD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMany of the diseases that plague society today are driven by a loss of protein quality. One method to quantify protein quality is to measure the protein folding stability (PFS). Here, we present a novel mass spectrometry (MS)-based approach for PFS measurement, iodination protein stability assay (IPSA).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMany amyloid-driven pathologies have both genetic and stochastic components where assessing risk of disease development requires a multifactorial assessment where many of the variables are poorly understood. Risk of transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis is enhanced by age and mutation of the transthyretin (TTR) gene, but amyloidosis is not directly initiated by mutated TTR proteins. Nearly all of the 150+ known mutations increase dissociation of the homotetrameric protein structure and increase the probability of an individual developing a TTR amyloid disease late in life.
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