Peripheral blood transcriptomic clusters uncovered immune phenotypes of asthma.

Background: Transcriptomic analysis has been used to elucidate the complex pathogenesis of heterogeneous disease and may also contribute to identify potential therapeutic targets by delineating the hub genes. This study aimed to investigate whether blood transcriptomic clustering can distinguish clinical and immune phenotypes of asthmatics, and microbiome in asthmatics.

Methods: Transcriptomic expression of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 47 asthmatics and 21 non-asthmatics was measured using RNA sequencing.

Human Alphacoronavirus Universal Primers for Genome Amplification and Sequencing.

Rapid and accurate sequencing covering the entire genome is essential to identify genetic variations of viral pathogens. However, due to the low viral titers in clinical samples, certain amplification steps are required for viral genome sequencing. At present, there are no universal primers available for alphacoronaviruses and that, since these viruses have diverse strains, new primers specific to the target strain must be continuously developed for sequencing.

Distribution of bacteriocin genes in the lineages of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum.

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, previously named "Lactobacillus plantarum," is found in a wide variety of environments exhibiting a high level of intraspecies genetic diversity. To investigate the strain diversity, we performed comparative genomic analyses of the 54 complete genome sequences. The results revealed that L.

Interactions between NCRILC3s and the Microbiome in the Airways Shape Asthma Severity.

Asthma is a heterogeneous disease whose development is shaped by a variety of environmental and genetic factors. While several recent studies suggest that microbial dysbiosis in the gut may promote asthma, little is known about the relationship between the recently discovered lung microbiome and asthma. Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) have also been shown recently to participate in asthma.

Microbiome profiling of uncinate tissue and nasal polyps in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis using swab and tissue biopsy.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is characterized according to the presence or absence of nasal polyps (NPs) and displays nasal microbiota dysbiosis. However, optimal sampling methods of the nasal microbiome in CRS have not been identified. We aimed to assess the microbial composition in patients with CRS, comparing different sampling methods (swab and tissue biopsy), tissue types (uncinate tissue and NP), and disease subtypes.

Lung virome: New potential biomarkers for asthma severity and exacerbation.

Background: Although some respiratory virus infections are known to contribute to the development and exacerbation of asthma, commensal viromes in airway have not been extensively studied due to technical challenges.

Objectives: This study investigated the characteristics of the virome in asthmatic airways.

Methods: Both the bacteriome and virome profiles in sputum from 12 healthy individuals, 15 patients with nonsevere asthma, and 15 patients with severe asthma were analyzed and assessed for the association with clinical characteristics such as severity, exacerbation, Asthma Control Test (ACT), and lung function.

A Half-Day Genome Sequencing Protocol for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus.

Recent coronavirus (CoV) outbreaks, including that of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), have presented a threat to public health worldwide. A primary concern in these outbreaks is the extent of mutations in the CoV, and the content of viral variation that can be determined only by whole genome sequencing (WGS). We aimed to develop a time efficient WGS protocol, using universal primers spanning the entire MERS-CoV genome.

Alteration of Lung and Gut Microbiota in IL-13-Transgenic Mice Simulating Chronic Asthma.

Increasing evidence suggests a potential role of microbial colonization in the inception of chronic airway diseases. However, it is not clear whether the lung and gut microbiome dysbiosis is coincidental or a result of mutual interaction. In this study, we investigated the airway microbiome in interleukin 13 (IL-13)-rich lung environment and related alterations of the gut microbiome.

Difference in the Gut Microbiome between Ovariectomy-Induced Obesity and Diet-Induced Obesity.

During menopausal transition, the imbalance of estrogen causes body weight gain. Although gut microbiome dysbiosis has been reported in postmenopausal obesity, it is not clear whether there is any difference in the microbiome profile between dietary-induced obesity and postmenopausal obesity. Therefore, in this study, we analyzed intestinal samples from ovariectomized mice and compared them with those of mice with high-fat diet-induced obesity.

Hydrogenophaga crassostreae sp. nov., isolated from a Pacific oyster.

A Gram-negative, motile, rod-shaped, and aerobic bacterial strain, designated LPB0072, was isolated from a Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas). Autotrophic growth with hydrogen gas was not observed. Cells oxidized thiosulfate to sulfate and reduced nitrate to nitrite.

Thalassotalea crassostreae sp. nov., isolated from Pacific oyster.

A Gram-staining-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated LPB0090T, was isolated from the Pacific oyster, Crassostreagigas, collected from the Yeongheung Island, Korea (37° 15' 16.1″ N; 126° 29' 46.5″ E).

Antibacterial and synergistic effects of the n-BuOH fraction of Sophora flavescens root against oral bacteria.

The antibacterial activity of an extract and several fractions of Sophora flavescens (S. flavescens) root alone and in combination with antibiotics against oral bacteria was investigated by checkerboard assay and time-kill assay. The minimum inhibitory concentration/minimum bactericidal concentration (MIC/MBC) values for all examined bacteria were 0.

Antimicrobial activity of the chloroform fraction of Drynaria fortunei against oral pathogens.

Drynaria fortunei (D. fortunei), widely used in traditional Korean medicine, is reportedly effective in treating inflammation, hyperlipidemia, bone fractures, oxidative damage, arteriosclerosis, rheumatism, and gynecological diseases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial effects of the chloroform fraction of D.

Flavobacterium crassostreae sp. nov., isolated from Pacific oyster.

A yellow, rod-shaped, Gram-reaction-negative bacterial strain, designated LPB0076T, was isolated from a Pacific oyster. Results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses indicated that the strain represented a member of the genus Flavobacterium. It had the highest sequence similarity to the type strains of Flavobacterium frigidarium (97.

Polaribacter vadi sp. nov., isolated from a marine gastropod.

A Gram-reaction-negative, non-motile, yellow-pigmented, NaCl-requiring bacterial strain, designated LPB0003T, was isolated from a marine gastropod, the granulated dogwhelk (Thais luteostoma). The complete genome sequence of strain LPB0003T (GenBank accession number CP017477), sized 3.81 Mb, had 3296 protein-coding genes.

Cochleicola gelatinilyticus gen. nov., sp. nov., Isolated from a Marine Gastropod, Reichia luteostoma.

A yellow, rod-shaped, non-motile, gram-negative, and strictly aerobic bacterial strain, designated LPB0005(T), was isolated from a marine gastropod, Reichia luteostoma. Here the genome sequence was determined, which comprised 3,395,737 bp with 2,962 protein-coding genes. The DNA G+C content was 36.

Wolbachia Sequence Typing in Butterflies Using Pyrosequencing.

Wolbachia is an obligate symbiotic bacteria that is ubiquitous in arthropods, with 25-70% of insect species estimated to be infected. Wolbachia species can interact with their insect hosts in a mutualistic or parasitic manner. Sequence types (ST) of Wolbachia are determined by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) of housekeeping genes.

Combination effects of baicalein with antibiotics against oral pathogens.

Background: Baicalein is one of the major flavonoids in Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, which has long been used in Asia as herbal medicine. Several biological effects of baicalein, such as antiviral, anti-inflammatiom, anti-hepatotoxicity, and anti-tumour properties, have been reported.

Objective And Design: In this study, the antibacterial activities of baicalein were investigated in combination with ampicillin and/or gentamicin against oral bacteria.

Synergistic Effect between Cryptotanshinone and Antibiotics against Clinic Methicillin and Vancomycin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Cryptotanshinone (CT), a major tanshinone of medicinal plant Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, demonstrated strong antibacterial activity against clinic isolated methicillin and vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA and VRSA) in this experiment. The CT was determined against clinic isolated MRSA 1-16 with MIC and MBC values ranging from 4 to 32 and 8 to 128  μ g/mL; for MSSA 1-2 from 16 to 32  μ g/mL and 64 to 128  μ g/mL; for VRSA 1-2 from 2 to 4  μ g/mL and 4 to 16  μ g/mL, respectively. The range of MIC50 and MIC90 of CT was 0.

Synergistic effect of fucoidan with antibiotics against oral pathogenic bacteria.

Background: Fucoidan is a sulphated polysaccharide that is primarily extracted from brown seaweeds; it has been broadly studied in recent years due to its numerous biological properties, including anticoagulant, antithrombotic, antitumour and antiviral activities.

Objective And Design: In this study, fucoidan was evaluated against oral bacteria, either alone or with antibiotics, via the broth dilution method and chequerboard and time-kill assay.

Results: Minimum inhibitory concentration/minimum bactericidal concentration (MIC/MBC) values for the fucoidan against all the tested bacteria ranged between 0.