Microbial Ecosystem Research Articles

One health: the impact of environment, detergents and hygiene on barrier, microbiome and allergy

SummaryA variety of body surfaces, such as skin and mucosal membranes—from the nasopharyngeal area to the lungs, uterus, vaginal area, and digestive tract—contain complex microbial ecosystems that are tailored to the specifics of the respective niche [1].The so-called dysbiosis—a disadvantageous change in the composition of the microbiome—is associated with the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases [2]. Gastrointestinal as well as cardiovascular, metabolic, neurodegenerative, psychological, oncological, and also allergic diseases have been linked to microbial dysbiosis. Susceptibility to allergies can be due to genetic predisposition; in addition, extrinsic factors from today’s lifestyle increasingly contribute to microbiome changes, but also to the disruption of the skin and mucosal barrier and thus to the development of allergies [3].Gisela, a fictional farmer, guides us through this review. She is representative of adults and children of all genders in industrialized countries. During her daily routine, the skin and mucosal microbiome is influenced by a variety of exogenous factors. These include everyday personal hygiene products, detergents for laundry and dishes, food, medication, animal contact, and exposure to various outdoor environments. Gisela’s daily routine will illustrate how the human microbiome and the skin barrier are modified in positive or negative ways, and how this could influence the development of allergies. Furthermore, potential measures for the prevention and management of dysbiosis will be discussed in terms of examples of alternative products and behaviors.

Taxonomic and functional partitioning of Chloroflexota populations under ferruginous conditions at and below the sediment-water interface.

The adaption of the phylum Chloroflexota to various geochemical conditions is thought to have originated in primitive microbial ecosystems, involving hydrogenotrophic energy conservation under ferruginous anoxia. Oligotrophic deep waters displaying anoxic ferruginous conditions, such as those of Lake Towuti, and their sediments may thus constitute a preferential ecological niche for investigating metabolic versatility in modern Chloroflexota. Combining pore water geochemistry, cell counts, sulfate reduction rates, 16S rRNA genes with in-depth analysis of metagenome-assembled genomes, we show that Chloroflexota benefit from cross-feeding on metabolites derived from canonical respiration chains and fermentation. Detailing their genetic contents, we provide molecular evidence that Anaerolineae have metabolic potential to use unconventional electron acceptors, different cytochromes and multiple redox metalloproteins to cope with oxygen fluctuations, and thereby effectively colonizing the ferruginous sediment-water interface. In sediments, Dehalococcoidia evolved to be acetogens, scavenging fatty acids, haloacids and aromatic acids, apparently bypassing specific steps in carbon assimilation pathways to perform energy-conserving secondary fermentations combined with CO2 fixation via the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway. Our study highlights the partitioning of Chloroflexota populations according to alternative electron acceptors and donors available at the sediment-water interface and below. Chloroflexota would have developed analogous primeval features due to oxygen fluctuations in ancient ferruginous ecosystems.

Archaeal community from the Northern Hangzhou Bay to the East China Sea: biogeography, ecological processes, and functional potential

IntroductionArchaeal communities play a crucial role in marine ecosystems, yet our understanding of their ecological and functional traits remains incomplete. This study focuses on northern Hangzhou Bay to fill gaps in knowledge regarding the biogeography and functionality of archaeal groups.MethodsWe utilized a high-throughput sequencing dataset based on the 16S rRNA gene to characterize the archaeal community, aiming to identify biogeographic patterns and assess the influence of environmental factors on community structure.ResultsThe predominant phyla identified were Woesearchaeota, Thaumarchaeota, Euryarchaeota, and Crenarchaeota. Archaeal community structure in sediments showed a geographical pattern along the environmental gradient, influenced by factors such as salinity, ammonium, total phosphorus, pH, and total nitrogen content. Network analysis revealed nonrandom co-occurrence patterns, with associations changing along the salinity gradient. Additionally, this study directly proved the existence of dispersal limitation in this strongly connected marine ecological system through null model analyses. Variation in the archaeal community was attributed to both environmental constraints and stochastic processes due to dispersal limitation. Furthermore, our results revealed that the key biogeochemical functions of the archaeal community also exhibited a clear salinity gradient, the functional differences appear to be influenced by salinity, and the critical roles of archaeal diversity were highlighted.DiscussionAll these findings enhance our understanding of microbial ecology and element transformation in estuarine environments. The highlighted roles of archaeal diversity and the influence of environmental factors on community structure and function underscore the complexity of marine microbial ecosystems.

Microbiota of Attine Ants' Gardens: Visualizing a Microbial Landscape by Scanning Electron Microscopy.

In macroscale ecosystems, such as rainforests or coral reefs, the spatial localization of organisms is the basis of our understanding of community ecology. In the microbial world, likewise, microscale ecosystems are far from a random and homogeneous mixture of organisms and habitats. Accessing the spatial distribution of microbes is fundamental for understanding the functioning and ecology of the microbiota, as cohabiting species are more likely to interact and influence each other's physiology. An interkingdom microbial ecosystem is at the core of fungus-growing ant colonies, which cultivate basidiomycete fungi as a nutritional resource. Attine ants forage for diverse substrates (mostly plant-based), metabolized by the cultivated fungus while forming a spongy structure, a "microbial garden" that acts as an external gut. The garden is an intertwined mesh of fungal hyphae growing by metabolizing the substrate, opening niches for a characteristic and adapted microbiota to establish. The microbiota is thought to be a contributor to substrate degradation and fungal growth, though its spatial organization is yet to be determined. Here, we describe how we employ Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to investigate, with unprecedented detail, the microbiota and biofilm spatial organization across different fungiculture systems of fungus-growing ants. SEM imaging has provided a description of the microbiota spatial structure and organization. SEM revealed that microbiota commonly assemble in biofilms, a widespread structure of the microbial landscapes in fungiculture. We present the protocols employed to fix, dehydrate, dry, sputter coating, and image such a complex community. These protocols were optimized to deal with delicate and heterogeneous samples, comprising plant and fungal biomass, as well as the microbiota and the biofilm.

Synbiotic supplementation may globally improve non-motor symptoms in patients with stable Parkinson’s disease: results from an open label single-arm study

Gut microbiota changes and brain-gut-axis (BGA) dysregulation are common in people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Probiotics and prebiotics are emerging as a potential therapeutic approach for PD patients. The aim of this paper was to assess the neurological and gastroenterological effects in PD patients with constipation after the administration of a synbiotic product, with a focus on behavioral and cognitive symptoms. We enrolled patients with stable PD who met diagnostic criteria for functional constipation and/or irritable bowel syndrome with constipation according to Rome IV Criteria. Patients received a synbiotic treatment (Enterolactis Duo, containing the probiotic strain Lacticaseibacillus paracasei DG and the prebiotic fiber inulin) for 12 weeks. A neurological and a gastroenterological evaluation were collected before and after the treatment. In addition, 16S rRNA gene profiling and short chain fatty acid quantification were performed to characterize the microbial ecosystem of fecal samples collected before (n = 22) and after (n = 9) the synbiotic administration. 30 patients were consecutively enrolled. After treatment, patients performed better in MDS-UPDRS part 1 (p = 0.000), SCOPA-AUT (p = 0.001), TAS-20 (p = 0.014), HAM-D (p = 0.026), DIFt (p = 0.003), PAS-A (p = 0.048). Gastroenterological evaluations showed improvements in PAC-SYM score (p < 0.001), number of complete bowel movement (p < 0.001) and BSFS (p < 0.001). After the synbiotic administration, we observed a significant increase in the abundance of the order Oscillospirales, as well as the Oscillospiraceae family and the species Faecalibacterium prausnitzii within this order in fecal samples. Synbiotic treatment demonstrates potential efficacy in ameliorating non-motor features in PD patients.

Diethyl ethylphosphonate retardants disturbed the gut microbiome and metabolite SCFAs in vitro based on simulator of the human intestinal microbial ecosystem

Diethyl ethylphosphonate (DEEP) as a novel organophosphorus flame retardant received increasing attention and its structure was discovered. But there are currently insufficient studies on how DEEP exposure affects the gut microbiome. In this study, the effects of DEEP on the structure and function of the human gut microbiota were examined using the SHIME system. Results from high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene show that the high dose DEEP exposure reduced the Shannon and Simpson index in the transverse and descending colon. The Bacillota had the highest proportion while the proportion of Proteobacteria gradually decreased at the phylum level. The abundance of Escherichia, Prevotella, and Bilophila at the genus level increased with increasing doses of DEEP exposure. On the contrary, the abundance of Megasphaera, Klebsiella, and Phascolarctobacterium decreased. The short-chain fatty acids had a significant shift. With increasing doses of DEEP exposure, the concentration of acetic acid and propionic acid increased, while the concentration of butyric acid reached the highest at the medium dose of exposure. In addition, Bilophila, Psychrobacter, Escherichia, and Nostoe showed strong beneficial associations with acetic and propionic acids under DEEP exposure. Phocaeicola, Agathobacter, Klebsiella, Megasphaera, Phascolarctobacterium, and Bacteroides were negatively association with acetic and propionic acids. In a word, the study verified that exposure to different doses of DEEP can cause changes in the composition of the gut microbiome and metabolite SCFAs, which provides ideas for the investigation of other potential hazards of DEEP on human beings.

Ambivalent effects of mass cultivation of biodiesel producible green alga Tetraselmis striata on a microbial ecosystem: Evidence from mesocosm experiments

A 280-ton plant for the mass cultivation of Tetraselmis striata was operated from 2012 to 2019 to produce biodiesel fuel in western Korean coastal waters (Incheon) as a pilot project. This was the first instance globally where a microalgal mass cultivation plant for biodiesel production was implemented in coastal waters, and no prior studies had investigated the impact of microalgal mass cultivation plant on surrounding microecosystems. In this study, bioreactors (1× and 10×) mimicking a large-scale T. striata cultivation plant were installed in semi-permeable a mesocosms (5 tons) to assess their impact on the microbial ecosystem. The results showed that the release of large amounts of dissolve organic carbon (DOC) from the T. striata bioreactors. The 10× pond had a DOC concentration of 21.3 mg/L compared to the control pond of 2.1 mg/L. For the Water Quality Index (WQI), the 1× and 10× bioreactor installed mesocosms improved from Class II (Good) at the beginning of the experiment to Class I (Excellent) via decreasing nutrient levels and increasing of DO levels. However, from a biodiversity perspective, the microbial ecosystem deteriorated, with reductions in the diversity of zooplankton, ciliates, and phytoplankton. The correlation analysis and random forest variable importance measures indicated that the primary factor driving these changes was the alteration of the bacterial community due to elevated DOC levels. These findings indicate that while the mass cultivation of T. striata may improve physicochemical water quality, it has adverse effects on biological environments. Therefore, it is crucial to monitor physical, chemical, and biological factors comprehensively when cultivating microalgae on a large scale in marine environments.

Microbial production of methyl-uranium via the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway

The misuse of uranium is a major threat to human health and the environment. In microbial ecosystems, microbes deploy various strategies to cope with uranium-induced stress. However, the exact ecological strategies and mechanisms underlying uranium tolerance in microbes remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the survival strategies and tolerance mechanisms of microbial communities in uranium-contaminated soil and groundwater. Microbial co-occurrence networks and molecular biology techniques were used to analyze the properties of microbes in groundwater and soil samples from various depths of uranium-contaminated areas in Northwest China. Uranium pollution altered microbial ecological strategies. Uranium stress facilitated the formation of microbial community structures, leading to symbiosis. Furthermore, microbes primarily resisted uranium hazards by producing polysaccharides and phosphate groups that chelate uranium, releasing phosphate substances that precipitate uranium, and reducing U(VI) through sulfate- and iron-reducing processes. The relative abundance of metal-methylation genes in soil microorganisms positively correlated with uranium concentration, indicating that soil microorganisms can produce methyl uranium via the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway. Furthermore, soil and groundwater microorganisms demonstrated different responses to uranium stress. This study provides new insights into microbial responses to uranium stress and novel approaches for the bioremediation of uranium-contaminated sites.

Influence of climate on soil viral communities in Australia on a regional scale

AbstractViruses play a crucial role in regulating microbial communities and ecosystem functioning. However, the biogeographic patterns of viruses and their responses to climate factors remain underexplored. In this study, we performed viral size fraction metagenomes on 108 samples collected along a 2600 km transect across Australia, encompassing distinct climate conditions. A total of 14,531 viral operational taxonomic units were identified. Climate factors had a greater influence than edaphic and biotic factors on driving the alpha diversity of viral communities. The strongest relationship was observed between mean annual temperature and the diversity of viral communities. Moreover, climate factors, particularly aridity index, were the primary drivers of viral community structure. Overall, these findings underscore the pivotal role of climate factors in shaping viral communities and have implications for understanding how climate change influences soil viral ecology.

Effects of volcanic environment on Setaria viridis rhizospheric soil microbial keystone taxa and ecosystem multifunctionality

Keystone taxa are significant within ecosystem multifunctionality, as certain species fulfil essential functions such as recycling soil nutrients, promoting plant growth, influencing biogeochemical processes, and contributing to human health maintenance. However, there are still gaps regarding the relationship between microbial communities in volcanic rhizospheric soil and ecosystem multifunctionality. As a result, in this research, we employed Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing to analyse the microbial community composition of rhizospheric soil from volcanic S. viridis. Compared with non-volcanic areas, volcanic soils have higher fungal alpha diversity and the absolute abundance of bacteria (16S gene copies) showed significant variation between the two successions (P < 0.0001). The network analysis further demonstrated that the microbial diversity in non-volcanic regions surpassed that of the volcanic area. The volcanic fungi network has more nodes and edges, is more complex than non-volcanic areas (Nodes: 425 vs. 770; Edges: 21844 vs. 74532), and more rhizosphere growth-promoting bacteria are enriched. Regression analysis and correlation networks showed that fungal communities were more closely associated with ecosystem multifunctionality than bacteria. This study lays the groundwork for examining the microbial keystone taxa in the rhizosphere of volcanic plants and offers valuable insights into the multifaceted functions of plant rhizospheric soil ecosystems.

Land use change from rice paddies to upland fields aggravates soil microbial metabolic limitation and reduces soil quality index and ecosystem multifunctionality

AbstractWith rapid urbanization and economic development, the area of paddy fields has seriously declined in rice‐producing region. However, the impacts of land use change (LUC) on soil enzymatic stoichiometry, microbial metabolic limitations and ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) have not been well‐documented. Hence, four adjacent paired soil samples were collected in rice‐producing areas. Soil microbial carbon (C), phosphorus (P) and nitrogen metabolic limitations were assessed via vector model. The impacts of LUC on soil structure, microbial activity, quality and multifunctionality were evaluated via soil structure stability index (SSI), soil biological activity (SBA), soil quality index (SQI) and EMF, respectively. Result showed that LUC from rice paddies to upland fields markedly decreased soil structure stability by 19.6%. Soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), microbial biomass phosphorus (MBP) and nutrient‐acquiring enzymes activities in the paddy soils were significantly higher than that in upland soil. Compared with paddy soil, microbial relative C and P limitations in upland soil were significantly aggravated by 10.9% and 4.2%, respectively. Additionally, variation partitioning and redundancy analyses revealed that soil pH, available P and P‐acquiring enzymes were the crucial edaphic factors affecting microbial metabolic limitations. Comprehensive assessment showed that LUC from rice paddies to upland fields significantly reduced SBA, SQI and EMF by 5.2%, 17.4% and 17.2%, accordingly. Overall, LUC from rice paddies to upland fields significantly destroyed soil structure, aggravated microbial relative C and P limitations and reduced soil quality. Therefore, artificial managements should be strengthened to counteract the adverse effects of LUC on soil quality and EMF. This study deepened our understanding of sustainable development and efficient management of field under LUC condition.

Method evaluation for viruses in activated sludge: Concentration, sequencing, and identification

Activated sludge (AS) in wastewater treatment plants is one of the largest artificial microbial ecosystems on earth and it makes enormous contributions to human societies. Viruses are an important component in AS with a high abundance. However, their communities and functionalities have not been as widely explored as those of other microorganisms, such as bacteria. This gap is mainly due to technical challenges in effective viral concentration, extraction, and sequencing. In this study, we compared four kinds of concentration methods, two sequencing approaches, and four identification bioinformatic tools to evaluate the whole analysis workflow for viruses in AS. Results showed flocculation, filtration, and resuspension (FFR) could get the longest DNA lengths and ultracentrifugation obtained the highest DNA yields for viruses in AS. Based on the results of present study, FFR and tangential flow filtration with the membrane pore size of 100 kDa were most recommended to concentrate viruses in AS samples with huge volumes. Besides, different concentration methods could get different viral catalogs and thus multiple methods should be combined to get the whole picture of viruses in the system. In addition, geNomad was the most recommended identification tool for viruses in the present study and the long-read sequencing could improve the assembly statistics of viruses when compared with the short-read sequencing. For the 8192 viral operational taxonomic units in this study, 95.1 % of them were phages and belonged to the same lineage at the order level of Caudovirales. Virulent phages dominated the AS system and Pseudomonadota were the main host. Taken together, this study provides new insights into methods selection for virus research of AS.

Genome-centric metagenomic analysis unveils the influence of temperature on the microbiome in anaerobic digestion

Temperature plays a crucial role in shaping microbial ecosystems during anaerobic digestion. However, the specific microbial communities and their functions across a wide temperature range still remain elusive. This study employed a genome-centric metagenomic approach to explore microbial metabolic pathways and synergistic networks at temperatures of 35℃, 44℃, 53℃, 55℃, and 65℃. A total of 84 metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) were assembled, with over 65% of these MAGs corresponding to novel bacterial and archaeal species (including Firmicutes, Chloroflexota, Bacteroidia and Methanobacteriota), greatly enhancing our current comprehension anaerobic digestion process. Notably, functional annotation identified that 44_bin.2 (Methanothrix_A sp.001602645) harbors enzymes associated with hydrogenotrophic metabolism. Additionally, this microorganism exhibited diverse metabolic capabilities at 44℃, a temperature commonly employed in industrial practice yet less explored in bench studies. Consequently, it implies a promising potential for conducting anaerobic digestion at a moderate thermophilic temperature, as opposed to the conventional mesophilic range. The microorganism exhibited a variety of metabolic capabilities at 44℃, a temperature frequently employed in industrial applications but underexplored in laboratory investigations. The findings suggest that anaerobic digestion carried out at moderate thermophilic temperatures may have a higher potential for methane production.

The legacy effects of mycorrhizal fungal inoculation alleviate soil nitrogen limitations by modulating the homeostasis of extracellular enzymes and fungal function in arid mining regions

AbstractRe‐vegetation types and the application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a crucial role in regulating soil conditions and enhancing vegetation cover during ecological restoration in the northern arid mining area. However, the impact of AMF on the balance of soil–plant–microbial ecosystems through its influence on microbial activities remains unclear. Therefore, we studied the influence of AMF on soil nutrient limitation and the soil fungal community in five different vegetation types in the Daliuta reclamation area. Through the measurement of soil extracellular enzyme activity and the analysis of soil fungal communities by high‐throughput sequencing, we found that the ratio of lnBG:ln(NAG + LAP):lnAP in the AMF sample was closer to 1:1:1, and the soil ecological enzyme stoichiometry was more balanced. The results of enzyme vector showed that AMF inoculation could alleviate the restriction of soil nitrogen nutrients. The results of high‐throughput sequencing showed that AMF improved the diversity of soil fungal community by regulating the composition of soil fungal community, and finally alleviated the nitrogen restriction during decomposition. Functional prediction of soil fungi using FUNGuild indicated that the soil fungi present were mainly saprophytic, saprophytic–symbiotic, and pathotroph–saprophytic–symbiotic trophic types. AMF reduced the percentage of pathotroph fungi and also tended to transform saprophytic into saprophytic–symbiotic type. The findings suggest that mycorrhizal reclamation can enhance the homeostasis of extracellular enzyme dynamics by optimizing fungal community structure and modulating fungal functionality, thereby alleviating microbial nutrient constraints and improving plant adaptability to arid environments. This article provides a theoretical underpinning for eco‐friendly mining construction and sustainable ecological development in arid mining areas.

Toxoplasma-induced behavior changes - is microbial dysbiosis the missing link?

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is one of the most successful intracellular protozoa in that it can infect the majority of mammalian cell types during the acute phase of infection. Furthermore, it is able to establish a chronic infection for the host's entire lifespan by developing an encysted parasite form, primarily in the muscles and brain of the host, to avoid the host immune system. The infection affects one third of the world population and poses an increased risk for people with a suppressed immune system. Despite the dormant characteristics of chronic T. gondii infection, there is much evidence suggesting that this infection leads to specific behavior changes in both humans and rodents. Although numerous hypotheses have been put forth, the exact mechanisms underlying these behavior changes have yet to be understood. In recent years, several studies revealed a strong connection between the gut microbiome and the different organ systems that are affected in T. gondii infection. While it is widely studied and accepted that acute T. gondii infection can lead to a dramatic disruption of the host's normal, well-balanced microbial ecosystem (microbial dysbiosis), changes in the gut microbiome during the chronic stage of infection has not been well characterized. This review is intended to briefly inspect the different hypotheses that attempt to explain the behavior changes during T. gondii infection. Furthermore, this review proposes to consider the potential link between gut microbial dysbiosis, and behavior changes in T. gondii infection as a novel way to describe the underlying mechanism.

Impact of the use of an indigenous starter on microbial community structuring and aromatic profile of rocamadour protected designation of origin cheese

The use of indigenous strains as starters offers new opportunities that challenge the use of industrial starters, especially to strengthen the link between Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) cheeses and their terroir. This study investigated the effect of two starters, industrial and indigenous, on the microbial ecosystem and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Rocamadour PDO cheese. Metabarcoding analysis showed that regardless of the type of starter used, Lactococcus lactis and Geotrichum candidum largely dominated the microbial communities of Rocamadour (>96 %). The analysis of β-diversity based on the Bray-Curtis indices differentiated the starters according to their bacterial communities. VOC analysis showed that the starters were distinguished by three fatty acids characteristic of the goat cheese aroma (p-value <0.05): decanoic, hexanoic, and octanoic acids. Hexanoic acid was not present in cheeses produced with the indigenous starter. This fatty acid was positively correlated with the presence of Paucilactobacillus nenjiangensis, Lactiplantibacillus sp. and Enterobacteriaceae, these microorganisms that were also characteristic of cheeses made with the industrial starter. Octanoic and decanoic acid, on the other hand, were suggested to be correlated with the presence of Leuconostoc mesenteroides.Cheeses produced with the indigenous starter differed in bacterial communities and aromatic signatures.

Transitions in lung microbiota landscape associate with distinct patterns of pneumonia progression.

The precise microbial determinants driving clinical outcomes in severe pneumonia are unknown. Competing ecological forces produce dynamic microbiota states in health; infection and treatment effects on microbiota state must be defined to improve pneumonia therapy. Here, we leverage our unique clinical setting, which includes systematic and serial bronchoscopic sampling in patients with suspected pneumonia, to determine lung microbial ecosystem dynamics throughout pneumonia therapy. We combine 16S rRNA gene amplicon, metagenomic, and transcriptomic sequencing with bacterial load quantification to reveal clinically-relevant pneumonia progression drivers. Microbiota states are predictive of pneumonia category and exhibit differential stability and pneumonia therapy response. Disruptive forces, like aspiration, associate with cohesive changes in gene expression and microbial community structure. In summary, we show that host and microbiota landscapes change in unison with clinical phenotypes and that microbiota state dynamics reflect pneumonia progression. We suggest that distinct pathways of lung microbial community succession mediate pneumonia progression.

Exploring the far-reaching consequences of malnutrition during pregnancy and beyond: A comprehensive review

In India, maternal and infant malnutrition continues to be a significant contributor to health problems. Fetal malnutrition can result from an inadequate nutrient supply, necessary nutrition services, and ideal practices before, during, and following pregnancy. This comprehensive review delves into the complex relationships among hormone changes, microbial ecosystems, and nutrition, and how these relationships affect the health of mothers and their offspring. The review highlights how important it is to maintain good nutrition during pregnancy and to comprehend the dietary modifications that pregnant people make on their own to create interventions that work. Important minerals like calcium, iron, folic acid, iodine, and vitamin D are covered. Acknowledging the mutualistic association between the eating habits of mothers and the diverse microbiomes found in their gut, vagina, and oral channels, the review explores the influence on hormone levels and their consequences during gestation. Diverse fetal developmental needs are depicted by the table that outlines food requirements for each of the three trimesters. The detrimental effects of poor prenatal nutrition on a mother's health and its repercussions for neonates are examined. The effects of malnutrition after delivery, including difficulties throughout pregnancy, healing periods, and general effects on mental and physical health, are well studied. The study, which adopts a worldwide viewpoint, finds that societal norms, information gaps, and poverty are the main causes of malnutrition. Prevention techniques are discussed, emphasizing the significance of taking a comprehensive approach to addressing this vital issue in both the Indian and global contexts.

Unveiling the microbial diversity across the northern Ninety East Ridge in the Indian Ocean.

Prokaryotes play a crucial role in marine ecosystem health and drive biogeochemical processes. The northern Ninety East Ridge (NER) of the Indian Ocean, a pivotal yet understudied area for these cycles, has been the focus of our study. We employed high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing to analyze 35 water samples from five stations along the ridge, categorized into three depth- and dissolved oxygen-level-based groups. Our approach uncovered a clear stratification of microbial communities, with key bioindicators such as Prochlorococcus MIT9313, Sva0996 marine group, and Candidatus Actinomarina in the upper layer; Ketobacter, Pseudophaeobacter, Nitrospina, and SAR324 clade in the middle layer; and Methylobacterium-Methylorubrum, Sphingomonas, Sphingobium, and Erythrobacter in the deep layer. Methylobacterium-Methylorubrum emerged as the most abundant bacterial genus, while Nitrosopumilaceae predominated among archaeal communities. The spatial and depth-wise distribution patterns revealed that Ketobacter was unique to the northern NER, whereas Methylobacterium-Methylorubrum, UBA10353, SAR324 clade, SAR406, Sva0996_marine_group, Candidatus Actinomarina were ubiquitous across various marine regions, exhibiting niche differentiation at the OTU level. Environmental factors, especially dissolved oxygen (DO), silicate, nitrate, and salinity, significantly influence community structure. These findings not only reveal the novelty and adaptability of the microbial ecosystem in the northern NER but also contribute to the broader understanding of marine microbial diversity and its response to environmental heterogeneity.

Drivers and consequences of microbial community coalescence.

Microbial communities are undergoing unprecedented dispersion and amalgamation across diverse ecosystems, thereby exerting profound and pervasive influences on microbial assemblages and ecosystem dynamics. This review delves into the phenomenon of community coalescence, offering an ecological overview that outlines its four-step process and elucidates the intrinsic interconnections in the context of community assembly. We examine pivotal mechanisms driving community coalescence, with a particular emphasis on elucidating the fates of both source and resident microbial communities and the consequential impacts on the ecosystem. Finally, we proffer recommendations to guide researchers in this rapidly evolving domain, facilitating deeper insights into the ecological ramifications of microbial community coalescence.