Host-specific microbial communities in three sympatric North Sea sponges.

The establishment of next-generation technology sequencing has deepened our knowledge of marine sponge-associated microbiota with the identification of at least 32 phyla of Bacteria and Archaea from a large number of sponge species. In this study, we assessed the diversity of the microbial communities hosted by three sympatric sponges living in a semi-enclosed North Sea environment using pyrosequencing of bacterial and archaeal 16S ribosomal RNA gene fragments. The three sponges harbor species-specific communities each dominated by a different class of Proteobacteria.

The colonization dynamics of the gut microbiota in tilapia larvae.

The gut microbiota of fish larvae evolves fast towards a complex community. Both host and environment affect the development of the gut microbiota; however, the relative importance of both is poorly understood. Determining specific changes in gut microbial populations in response to a change in an environmental factor is very complicated.

Functional characterization of probiotic surface layer protein-carrying Lactobacillus amylovorus strains.

Background: Adhesiveness to intestinal epithelium, beneficial immunomodulating effects and the production of pathogen-inhibitory compounds are generally considered as beneficial characteristics of probiotic organisms. We showed the potential health-promoting properties and the mechanisms of probiotic action of seven swine intestinal Lactobacillus amylovorus isolates plus the type strain (DSM 20531T) by investigating their adherence to porcine intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC-1) and mucus as well as the capacities of the strains to i) inhibit the adherence of Escherichia coli to IPEC-1 cells, ii) to produce soluble inhibitors against intestinal pathogens and iii) to induce immune signaling in dendritic cells (DCs). Moreover, the role of the L.

vanI: a novel D-Ala-D-Lac vancomycin resistance gene cluster found in Desulfitobacterium hafniense.

The glycopeptide vancomycin was until recently considered a drug of last resort against Gram-positive bacteria. Increasing numbers of bacteria, however, are found to carry genes that confer resistance to this antibiotic. So far, 10 different vancomycin resistance clusters have been described.

Early-life environmental variation affects intestinal microbiota and immune development in new-born piglets.

Background: Early-life environmental variation affects gut microbial colonization and immune competence development; however, the timing and additional specifics of these processes are unknown. The impact of early-life environmental variations, as experienced under real life circumstances, on gut microbial colonization and immune development has not been studied extensively so far. We designed a study to investigate environmental variation, experienced early after birth, to gut microbial colonization and intestinal immune development.

Assessing effects of the fungicide tebuconazole to heterotrophic microbes in aquatic microcosms.

Aquatic ecological risk assessment of fungicides in Europe under Regulation 1107/2009/EC does not currently assess risk to non-target bacteria and fungi. Rather, regulatory acceptable concentrations based on ecotoxicological data obtained from studies with fish, invertebrates and primary producers (including algae) are assumed to be protective to all other aquatic organisms. Here we explore the validity of this assumption by investigating the effects of a fungicide (tebuconazole) applied at its "non-microbial" HC5 concentration (the concentration that is hazardous to 5% of the tested taxa) and derived from acute single species toxicity tests on fish, invertebrates and primary producers (including algae) on the community structure and functioning of heterotrophic microbes (bacteria and aquatic fungi) in a semi-field study, using novel molecular techniques.

Molecular ecological tools to decipher the role of our microbial mass in obesity.

After birth, our gastrointestinal (GI) tract is colonised by a highly complex assemblage of microbes, collectively termed the GI microbiota, that develops intimate interactions with our body. Recent evidence indicates that the GI microbiota and its products may contribute to the development of obesity and related diseases. This, coupled with the current worldwide epidemic of obesity, has moved microbiome research into the spotlight of attention.

Microbial dynamics during and after in situ chemical oxidation of chlorinated solvents.

In situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) followed by a bioremediation step is increasingly being considered as an effective biphasic technology. Information on the impact of chemical oxidants on organohalide respiring bacteria (OHRB), however, is largely lacking. Therefore, we used quantitative PCR (qPCR) to monitor the abundance of OHRB (Dehalococcoides mccartyi, Dehalobacter, Geobacter, and Desulfitobacterium) and reductive dehalogenase genes (rdh; tceA, vcrA, and bvcA) at a field location contaminated with chlorinated solvents prior to and following treatment with sodium persulfate.

Effects of selective digestive decontamination (SDD) on the gut resistome.

Objectives: Selective digestive decontamination (SDD) is an infection prevention measure for critically ill patients in intensive care units (ICUs) that aims to eradicate opportunistic pathogens from the oropharynx and intestines, while sparing the anaerobic flora, by the application of non-absorbable antibiotics. Selection for antibiotic-resistant bacteria is still a major concern for SDD. We therefore studied the impact of SDD on the reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes (i.

Early methanogenic colonisation in the faeces of Meishan and Yorkshire piglets as determined by pyrosequencing analysis.

Gut methanogenic archaea of monogastric animals are considered to be related to energy metabolism and adipose deposition of the host; however, information on their development in young piglets is limited. Thus, to investigate early methanogenic colonisation in the faeces of Meishan and Yorkshire piglets, faecal samples were collected from piglets at 1, 3, 7, and 14 days after birth and used to analyse the methanogenic community with 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing. Results showed that the diversity of the methanogenic community in the faeces of neonatal piglets decreased from one to 14 days of age, as the total methanogen populations increased.

Early changes in microbial colonization selectively modulate intestinal enzymes, but not inducible heat shock proteins in young adult Swine.

Metabolic diseases and obesity are developing worldwide in a context of plethoric intake of high energy diets. The intestine may play a pivotal role due to diet-induced alterations in microbiota composition and increased permeability to bacterial lipopolysaccharide inducing metabolic inflammation. Early programming of metabolic disorders appearing in later life is also suspected, but data on the intestine are lacking.

Complete genome sequence of Dehalobacter restrictus PER-K23(T.).

Dehalobacter restrictus strain PER-K23 (DSM 9455) is the type strain of the species Dehalobacter restrictus. D. restrictus strain PER-K23 grows by organohalide respiration, coupling the oxidation of H2 to the reductive dechlorination of tetra- or trichloroethene.

Characterization of Romboutsia ilealis gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from the gastro-intestinal tract of a rat, and proposal for the reclassification of five closely related members of the genus Clostridium into the genera Romboutsia gen. nov., Intestinibacter gen. nov., Terrisporobacter gen. nov. and Asaccharospora gen. nov.

A Gram-positive staining, rod-shaped, non-motile, spore-forming obligately anaerobic bacterium, designated CRIBT, was isolated from the gastro-intestinal tract of a rat and characterized. The major cellular fatty acids of strain CRIBT were saturated and unsaturated straight-chain C12-C19 fatty acids, with C16:0 being the predominant fatty acid. The polar lipid profile comprised six glycolipids, four phospholipids and one lipid that did not stain with any of the specific spray reagents used.

Geochemical and microbiological characteristics during in situ chemical oxidation and in situ bioremediation at a diesel contaminated site.

While in situ chemical oxidation with persulfate has seen wide commercial application, investigations into the impacts on groundwater characteristics, microbial communities and soil structure are limited. To better understand the interactions of persulfate with the subsurface and to determine the compatibility with further bioremediation, a pilot scale treatment at a diesel-contaminated location was performed consisting of two persulfate injection events followed by a single nutrient amendment. Groundwater parameters measured throughout the 225 day experiment showed a significant decrease in pH and an increase in dissolved diesel and organic carbon within the treatment area.

Effects of the antibiotic enrofloxacin on the ecology of tropical eutrophic freshwater microcosms.

The main objective of the present study was to assess the ecological impacts of the fluoroquinolone antibiotic enrofloxacin on the structure and functioning of tropical freshwater ecosystems. Enrofloxacin was applied at a concentration of 1, 10, 100 and 1,000 μg/L for 7 consecutive days in 600-L outdoor microcosms in Thailand. The ecosystem-level effects of enrofloxacin were monitored on five structural (macroinvertebrates, zooplankton, phytoplankton, periphyton and bacteria) and two functional (organic matter decomposition and nitrogen cycling) endpoint groups for 4 weeks after the last antibiotic application.

Kinetics of dechlorination by Dehalococcoides mccartyi using different carbon sources.

Stimulated anaerobic dechlorination is generally considered a valuable step for the remediation of aquifers polluted with chlorinated ethenes (CEs). Correct simulation and prediction of this process in situ, however, require good knowledge of the associated biological reactions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the dechlorination reaction in an aquifer contaminated with trichloroethene (TCE) and its daughter products, discharging into the Zenne River.

Determinants of the microbial community structure of eutrophic, hyporheic river sediments polluted with chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons.

Chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs) often discharge into rivers as contaminated groundwater baseflow. As biotransformation of CAHs in the impacted river sediments might be an effective remediation strategy, we investigated the determinants of the microbial community structure of eutrophic, CAH-polluted sediments of the Zenne River. Based on PCR-DGGE analysis, a high diversity of Bacteria, sulfate-reducing bacteria, Geobacteraceae, methanogenic archaea, and CAH-respiring Dehalococcoides was found.

Resistant starch induces catabolic but suppresses immune and cell division pathways and changes the microbiome in the proximal colon of male pigs.

Consumption of resistant starch (RS) has been associated with various intestinal health benefits, but knowledge of its effects on global gene expression in the colon is limited. The main objective of the current study was to identify genes affected by RS in the proximal colon to infer which biologic pathways were modulated. Ten 17-wk-old male pigs, fitted with a cannula in the proximal colon for repeated collection of tissue biopsy samples and luminal content, were fed a digestible starch (DS) diet or a diet high in RS (34%) for 2 consecutive periods of 14 d in a crossover design.

Recovery of microbial diversity and activity during bioremediation following chemical oxidation of diesel contaminated soils.

To improve the coupling of in situ chemical oxidation and in situ bioremediation, a systematic analysis was performed of the effect of chemical oxidation with Fenton's reagent, modified Fenton's reagent, permanganate, or persulfate, on microbial diversity and activity during 8 weeks of incubation in two diesel-contaminated soils (peat and fill). Chemical oxidant and soil type affected the microbial community diversity and biodegradation activity; however, this was only observed following treatment with Fenton's reagent and modified Fenton's reagent, and in the biotic control without oxidation. Differences in the highest overall removal efficiencies of 69 % for peat (biotic control) and 59 % for fill (Fenton's reagent) were partially explained by changes in contaminant soil properties upon oxidation.

Culture-dependent and independent approaches for identifying novel halogenases encoded by Crambe crambe (marine sponge) microbiota.

Sponges harbour microbial communities that contribute to the genetic and metabolic potential of their host. Among metabolites produced by sponge-associated microbial communities, halogenated compounds are of special interest because of their biotechnological potential. In this study, we have examined the diversity of the cultivable fraction of the marine demosponge Crambe crambe microbiota.

Evaluation of solid polymeric organic materials for use in bioreactive sediment capping to stimulate the degradation of chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons.

In situ bioreactive capping is a promising technology for mitigation of surface water contamination by discharging polluted groundwater. Organohalide respiration (OHR) of chlorinated ethenes in bioreactive caps can be stimulated through incorporation of solid polymeric organic materials (SPOMs) that provide a sustainable electron source for organohalide respiring bacteria. In this study, wood chips, hay, straw, tree bark and shrimp waste, were assessed for their long term applicability as an electron donor for OHR of cis-dichloroethene (cDCE) and vinyl chloride (VC) in sediment microcosms.

Genome analysis and physiological comparison of Alicycliphilus denitrificans strains BC and K601(T.).

The genomes of the Betaproteobacteria Alicycliphilus denitrificans strains BC and K601(T) have been sequenced to get insight into the physiology of the two strains. Strain BC degrades benzene with chlorate as electron acceptor. The cyclohexanol-degrading denitrifying strain K601(T) is not able to use chlorate as electron acceptor, while strain BC cannot degrade cyclohexanol.

Metagenome analysis reveals yet unexplored reductive dechlorinating potential of Dehalobacter sp. E1 growing in co-culture with Sedimentibacter sp.

The importance of Dehalobacter species in bioremediation as dedicated degraders of chlorinated organics has been well recognized. However, still little is known about Dehalobacter's full genomic repertoires, including the genes involved in dehalogenation. Here we report the first insights into the genome sequence of Dehalobacter sp.

A capture approach for supercoiled plasmid DNA using a triplex-forming oligonucleotide.

Proteins that recognize and bind specific sites in DNA are essential for regulation of numerous biological functions. Such proteins often require a negative supercoiled DNA topology to function correctly. In current research, short linear DNA is often used to study DNA-protein interactions.