Publications by authors named "Mostafa Elshahed"

Anaerobic gut fungi (AGF, ) inhabit the alimentary tract of herbivores. Although strict anaerobes, studies have suggested their capacity to retain viability after various durations of air exposure. It is currently unclear whether AGF can actively grow, and not merely survive, in redox potentials (E) higher than those encountered in the herbivorous gut.

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Radiation enteritis is a frequently encountered issue for patients receiving radiotherapy and has a significant impact on cancer patients' quality of life. The gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in intestinal function, yet the impact of irradiation on gut microorganisms is not fully understood. This study explores the gastroprotective effect and gut microbiome-modulating potential of ubiquinol (Ubq), the reduced form of the powerful antioxidant CoQ-10.

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Members of the phylum Acidobacteriota inhabit a wide range of ecosystems including soils. We analyzed the global patterns of distribution and habitat preferences of various Acidobacteriota lineages across major ecosystems (soil, engineered, host-associated, marine, non-marine saline and alkaline, and terrestrial non-soil ecosystem) in 248,559 publicly available metagenomic datasets. Classes Terriglobia, Vicinamibacteria, Blastocatellia, and Thermoanaerobaculia were highly ubiquitous and showed clear preference to soil over non-soil habitats, class Polarisedimenticolia showed comparable ubiquity and preference between soil and non-soil habitats, while classes Aminicenantia and Holophagae showed preferences to non-soil habitats.

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Article Synopsis
  • Anaerobic gut fungi (AGF) are mostly found in the gastrointestinal tracts of herbivores, and while their role in mammals is well-known, their presence in non-mammals like tortoises is less documented.
  • Research indicates that tortoises host a unique AGF community with three new genera, estimated to have diverged from their ancestors over 104-112 million years ago, suggesting an early evolution of symbiosis between animals and AGF.
  • Tortoise-associated AGF show limited ability to metabolize plant materials due to fewer carbohydrate-active enzymes and reduced gene exchange compared to AGF from mammals, leading to a diminished capacity for breaking down cellulose.
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An enrichment of sulfidic sediments from Zodletone spring was sequenced as a metagenome. Draft genomes representing Cloacimonadota, Deltabacterota, Firmicutes, and Patescibacteria were binned and annotated and will aid functional genomics and cultivation efforts.

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The rumen houses a diverse community that plays a major role in the digestion process in ruminants. Anaerobic gut fungi (AGF) are key contributors to plant digestion in the rumen. Here, we present a global amplicon-based survey of the rumen AGF mycobiome by examining 206 samples from 15 animal species, 15 countries, and 6 continents.

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The anaerobic gut fungi (AGF) inhabit the alimentary tracts of herbivores. In contrast to placental mammals, information regarding the identity, diversity, and community structure of AGF in marsupials is extremely sparse. Here, we characterized AGF communities in 61 fecal samples from 10 marsupial species belonging to four families in the order Diprotodontia: Vombatidae (wombats), Phascolarctidae (koalas), Phalangeridae (possums), and Macropodidae (kangaroos, wallabies, and pademelons).

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Despite their role in host nutrition, the anaerobic gut fungal (AGF) component of the herbivorous gut microbiome remains poorly characterized. Here, to examine global patterns and determinants of AGF diversity, we generate and analyze an amplicon dataset from 661 fecal samples from 34 mammalian species, 9 families, and 6 continents. We identify 56 novel genera, greatly expanding AGF diversity beyond current estimates (31 genera and candidate genera).

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Establishment of microbial communities in neonatal calves is vital for their growth and overall health. While this process has received considerable attention for bacteria, our knowledge on temporal progression of anaerobic gut fungi (AGF) in calves is lacking. Here, we examined AGF communities in faecal samples from six dairy cattle collected at 24 different time points during the pre-weaning (days 1-48), weaning (days 48-60), and post-weaning (days 60-360) phases.

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The anaerobic gut fungi (AGF, ) represent a basal zoosporic phylum within the kingdom . Twenty genera are currently described, all of which were isolated from the digestive tracts of mammalian herbivores. Here, we report on the isolation and characterization of novel AGF taxa from faecal samples of tortoises.

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Coxiella burnetii (Cb) is an obligate intracellular pathogen in nature and the causative agent of acute Q fever as well as chronic diseases. In an effort to identify genes and proteins crucial to their normal intracellular growth lifestyle, we applied a 'reverse evolution' approach where the avirulent Nine Mile Phase II strain of Cb was grown for 67 passages in chemically defined ACCM-D media and gene expression patterns and genome integrity from various passages was compared to passage number one following intracellular growth. Transcriptomic analysis identified a marked downregulation of the structural components of the type 4B secretion system (T4BSS), the general secretory (Sec) pathway, as well as 14 out of 118 previously identified genes encoding effector proteins.

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sp. strain ZS1 is an obligate anaerobic, sulfate-reducing member of the from Zodletone Spring, an anoxic sulfide-rich spring in southwestern Oklahoma. Its complete genome was sequenced using a combination of Illumina and Oxford Nanopore platforms and encodes 3,364 proteins and 81 RNAs on a single chromosome.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the phylogenetic relationships of anaerobic gut fungi (AGF) using transcriptomic datasets from 14 genera, revealing four distinct supra-genus clades and identifying the earliest evolving genus.
  • It combines phylogenomic analysis with quantitative amino acid identity (AAI) data to propose a new taxonomic framework, placing 14 out of 20 AGF genera into four families while some genera remain unresolved.
  • The findings highlight the importance of RPB1 as a useful molecular marker for classifying AGF and provide a scientifically-grounded approach for their taxonomy.
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(Cb) is an obligate intracellular pathogen in nature and the causative agent of acute Q fever as well as chronic diseases. In an effort to identify genes and proteins crucial to their normal intracellular growth lifestyle, we applied a "Reverse evolution" approach where the avirulent Nine Mile Phase II strain of Cb was grown for 67 passages in chemically defined ACCM-D media and gene expression patterns and genome integrity from various passages was compared to passage number one following intracellular growth. Transcriptomic analysis identified a marked downregulation of the structural components of the type 4B secretion system (T4BSS), the general secretory (sec) pathway, as well as 14 out of 118 previously identified genes encoding effector proteins.

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Anaerobic fungi from the herbivore digestive tract () are primary lignocellulose modifiers and hold promise for biotechnological applications. Their molecular detection is currently difficult due to the non-specificity of published primer pairs, which impairs evolutionary and ecological research with environmental samples. We developed and validated a -specific PCR primer pair targeting the D2 region of the ribosomal large subunit suitable for screening, quantifying, and sequencing.

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Consumption of food rich in dietary fibers (DFs) has been long recognized to exert an overall beneficial effect on human health. This review aims to provide a holistic overview on how IDFs impact human gut health either directly, or through modulation of the gut microbiome. Several databases were searched for collecting papers such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus and Reaxys from 2000 till 2022.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Establishing a solid taxonomic framework is essential for effective communication and reproducibility among scientists, particularly in the study of anaerobic fungi (Neocallimastigomycota).
  • - Clear criteria for characterizing and assigning taxonomic ranks are necessary to address challenges related to the isolation and preservation of these fungi, which are often poorly documented.
  • - The text offers specific morphological, microscopic, phylogenetic, and phenotypic criteria for evaluating new Neocallimastigomycota isolates and recommends a comprehensive ranking system for naming new taxa.
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As tick-borne diseases continue to increase across North America, current research strives to understand how the tick microbiome may affect pathogen acquisition, maintenance, and transmission. Prior high throughput amplicon-based microbial diversity surveys of the widespread tick Dermacentor variabilis have suggested that life stage, sex, and geographic region may influence the composition of the tick microbiome. Here, adult D.

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Members of the anaerobic gut fungi () reside in the rumen and alimentary tract of larger mammalian and some reptilian, marsupial and avian herbivores. The recent decade has witnessed a significant expansion in the number of described genera and species. However, the difficulties associated with the isolation and maintenance of strains has greatly complicated comparative studies to resolve inter- and intra-genus relationships.

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The Alpine goat (Capra aegagrus hircus) is parasitized by the barber pole worm (Haemonchus contortus). Hematological parameters from transcript and metagenome analysis in the host are reflective of infestation. We explored comparisons between blood samples of control, infected, infected zoledronic acid-treated, and infected antibody (anti-γδ T cells) treated wethers under controlled conditions.

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Life emerged and diversified in the absence of molecular oxygen. The prevailing anoxia and unique sulfur chemistry in the Paleo-, Meso-, and Neoarchean and early Proterozoic eras may have supported microbial communities that differ from those currently thriving on the earth's surface. Zodletone spring in southwestern Oklahoma represents a unique habitat where spatial sampling could substitute for geological eras namely, from the anoxic, surficial light-exposed sediments simulating a preoxygenated earth to overlaid water column where air exposure simulates oxygen intrusion during the Neoproterozoic era.

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Cultured are predominantly aerobic soil inhabitants, characterized by their highly coordinated predation and cellular differentiation capacities. Little is currently known regarding yet-uncultured from anaerobic, nonsoil habitats. We analyzed genomes representing one novel order (o__JAFGXQ01) and one novel family (f__JAFGIB01) in the from an anoxic freshwater spring (Zodletone Spring) in Oklahoma, USA.

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Flavonoids are natural polyphenol secondary metabolites that are widely produced . Flavonoids are ubiquities in human dietary intake and exhibit a myriad of health benefits. Flavonoids-induced biological activities are strongly influenced by their availability in the human GI tract, as well as the levels of which are modulated by interaction with the gut bacteria.

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We analyzed five metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) belonging to the rare, yet-uncultured phylum CSSED10-310 recovered from the anoxic sediments of Zodletone Spring (Oklahoma). Our analysis suggests their potential involvement in sulfite respiration.

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The anaerobic gut fungi (AGF; phylum ) reside in the alimentary tracts of herbivores. Multiple novel, yet-uncultured AGF taxa have recently been identified in culture-independent diversity surveys. Here, we report on the isolation and characterization of the first representative of the RH5 lineage from faecal samples of a wild blackbuck (Indian Antelope, ) from Sutton County, Texas, USA.

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