Community Structure Research Articles

Shear stress controls prokaryotic and eukaryotic biofilm communities together with EPS and metabolomic expression in a semi-controlled coastal environment in the NW Mediterranean Sea

While waves, swells and currents are important drivers of the ocean, their specific influence on the biocolonization of marine surfaces has been little studied. The aim of this study was to determine how hydrodynamics influence the dynamics of microbial communities, metabolic production, macrofoulers and the associated vagile fauna. Using a field device simulating a shear stress gradient, a multi-scale characterization of attached communities (metabarcoding, LC–MS, biochemical tests, microscopy) was carried out for one month each season in Toulon Bay (northwestern Mediterranean). Shear stress appeared to be the primary factor influencing biomass, EPS production and community structure and composition. Especially, the transition from static to dynamic conditions, characterized by varying shear stress intensities, had a more pronounced effect on prokaryotic and eukaryotic beta-diversity than changes in shear stress intensity or seasonal physico-chemical parameters. In static samples, mobile microbe feeders such as arthropods and nematodes were predominant, whereas shear stress favored the colonization of sessile organisms and heterotrophic protists using the protective structure of biofilms for growth. The increase in shear stress resulted in a decrease in biomass but an overproduction of EPS, specifically exopolysaccharides, suggesting an adaptive response to withstand shear forces. Metabolite analysis highlighted the influence of shear stress on community dynamics. Specific metabolites associated with static conditions correlated positively with certain bacterial and algal groups, indirectly indicating reduced grazer control with increasing shear stress.

Effects of Trophic State on the Composition and Distribution of Bacteria in the Surface Sediments of Lake Taihu

ABSTRACT1. The trophic state of water significantly affects the structure of bacterial communities in sediments. The direct and indirect impacts of trophic state, along with trophic‐induced changes in the properties of organic matter, on the composition and distribution of bacteria in sediments, remain largely unknown.2. We collected surface sediments from 21 sites across five areas of Lake Taihu, the third largest freshwater lake in China. These sites represented a range of trophic states from mesotrophic to moderately eutrophic. We investigated how trophic state influences bacterial composition and distribution in the surface sediments of Lake Taihu.3. Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the most abundant phyla identified in the DNA sequences of surface sediments from the sampling sites in Lake Taihu, regardless of the water trophic state. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Firmicutes in the surface sediments increased with trophic level index (TLI) of the water column. In contrast, the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, Acidobacteria and Fibrinobacteria decreased with increasing TLI. The α‐biodiversity of the sediment bacterial community in Lake Taihu did not vary significantly among different water trophic states. However, surface sediments from sites with varied trophic states exhibited different groups of bacteria that were either specifically present or in higher relative abundance.4. Several factors influenced the sediment bacterial communities in Lake Taihu, including sediment total nitrogen, sediment total phosphorus, sediment organic carbon, δ13C and trophic state. However, the primary influencing factors varied between sites and trophic states. For mesotrophic states, sediment organic carbon was the most important factor, while for moderately eutrophic states, trophic state was the most significant factor.5. Our findings provide evidence for both the direct and indirect influences of water trophic state on the composition and distribution of bacteria in sediments.

Effect of composite yeast culture on the jejunal barrier function, inflammatory response, and microbial community structure of laying hens during the late stage of egg production

During the late laying period, the intestinal barrier of laying hens is susceptible to damage, resulting in enteric infections and even systemic inflammatory responses, posing a major challenge for the poultry industry. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate methods for addressing intestinal inflammation in late laying hens. In order to maximize the production potential of egg laying chickens, farmers usually use various feed additives to prevent damage to the intestinal barrier. Composite yeast cultures have shown advantages in broiler applications. This study aims to assess the impact of composite yeast culture (CYC) on the intestinal barrier function, inflammatory cytokines, and microbial community structure of Hy-Line Brown laying hens. A total of 160 healthy Hy-Line Brown hens, aged 58 weeks and of similar weight, were randomly assigned to two groups, with four replicates per group and 20 hens in each replicate. The control group was fed a basal diet (Con), while the experimental group was provided with a diet supplemented with 40 g/kg of composite yeast culture (CYC). The test period was 25 days. The results indicated that: compared to the control group, CYC significantly improved the egg production rates of hens during days 11–15, 16–20, and 21–25 (p < 0.05). CYC significantly enhanced the relative mRNA expression levels of occludin, claudin-1, zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), and mucin 2 (Muc2) in the intestinal tract (p < 0.05), while reducing the relative expression levels of pro-inflammatory factors TNF-α and IFN-γ (p < 0.05), and increasing the levels of anti-inflammatory factors IL-4, IL-10, and TGF-β1 (p < 0.05). CYC significantly increased the abundance of Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in the intestine. These findings suggest that the composite yeast culture (CYC) can improve the structure of the intestinal microbial community. In conclusion, CYC may enhance egg production rates, reduce inflammatory responses, and strengthen intestinal barrier function by modulating the composition of the intestinal microbiota in late laying hens.

Biodiversity and distribution of zoobenthos in the ecological water replenishment area of the Yellow River estuary coastal wetland revealed by eDNA metabarcoding.

The coastal wetland of the Yellow River Estuary, one of China's largest wetlands, is essential for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services. Ecological water replenishment, a typical wetland restoration measure in the Yellow River Delta, has significantly impacted the habitat of zoobenthos, which are critical indicators of ecosystem health and water quality. However, the community characteristics of zoobenthos in this coastal wetland are poorly understood. This study utilized eDNA metabarcoding to assess the diversity and community structure of zoobenthos in the ecological water replenishment area of Yellow River Estuary Coastal Wetland. Zoobenthos from 174 families were identified, with 307 species recognized at the generic level, significantly more than those identified through traditional morpho-taxonomic approaches. Salinity emerged as a crucial factor in shaping these ecosystems. Contrary to expectations, in this study, brackish water exhibited the lowest species richness compared to freshwater and seawater, which may be attributed to local environmental stressors and fluctuating salinity conditions in the Yellow River Estuary. Environmental factors such as salinity, organic matter, and nutrient elements significantly influence the composition and distribution of zoobenthos. Specifically, cations, particularly Mg2⁺ and Ca2⁺, have a more substantial impact on zoobenthos than anions. Our results provide crucial information on zoobenthic biodiversity within ecological water replenishment areas, offering insights into the ecological dynamics and environmental factors shaping zoobenthos communities under ecological management.

Low Mortality Rates Among Tropical Ferns

Tropical ferns are underrepresented in demographic studies, despite their ecological importance in forest ecosystems. This study investigates the mortality rates of terrestrial ferns along an elevational gradient (500–4000 m a.s.l.) in Ecuador, focusing on relationships with environmental variables, community characteristics, and plant size. Over two years (2009–2011), 3213 individuals representing 88 species were monitored in 22 permanent plots across eight elevations. Mortality rates, calculated as the percentage of individuals lost annually, averaged 0.87%, with a hump-shaped trend along the gradient and a significant negative relationship with temperature. Mortality rates were positively correlated with species richness and fern density, suggesting competition may influence community structure. Larger individuals exhibited higher mortality rates, likely due to greater resource demands and exposure to environmental stressors. These findings emphasize the interplay of abiotic factors, such as elevation and temperature, and biotic interactions, including competition and herbivory, in shaping fern population dynamics. The low mortality rates observed reflect population stability, potentially linked to unique life history traits, such as extended generation times. This study provides critical insights into the demographic strategies of tropical ferns and underscores the need for long-term research to better understand their responses to environmental and biotic pressures.

Synergistic Promotion of Direct Interspecies Electron Transfer by Biochar and Fe₃O₄ Nanoparticles to Enhance Methanogenesis in Anaerobic Digestion of Vegetable Waste

When vegetable waste (VW) is used as a sole substrate for anaerobic digestion (AD), the rapid accumulation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) can impede interspecies electron transfer (IET), resulting in a relatively low biogas production rate. In this study, Chinese cabbage and cabbage were selected as the VW substrates, and four continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTRs) were employed. Different concentrations of biochar-loaded nano-Fe3O4(Fe3O4@BC) (100 mg/L, 200 mg/L, 300 mg/L) were added, and the organic loading rate (OLR) was gradually increased during the AD process. The changes in biogas production rate, VFAs, and microbial community structure in the fermentation tanks were analyzed to identify the optimal dosage of Fe3O4@BC and the maximum OLR. The results indicated that at the maximum OLR of 3.715 g (VS)/L·d, the addition of 200 mg/L of Fe3O4@BC most effectively promoted an increase in the biogas production rate and reduced the accumulation of VFAs compared to the other treatments. Under these conditions, the biogas production rate reached 0.658 L/g (VS). Furthermore, the addition of Fe3O4@BC enhanced both the diversity and abundance of bacteria and archaea. At the genus level, the abundance of Christensenellaceae_R-7_group, Sphaerochaeta, and the archaeal genus Thermovirga was notably increased.

Effects of pepper–maize intercropping on the physicochemical properties, microbial communities, and metabolites of rhizosphere and bulk soils

BackgroundIntercropping increases land use efficiency and farmland ecological diversity. However, little is understood about whether and how soil biota, metabolites, and nutrients change under interspecific competition among plants. Thus, this study aimed to explore the changes in the physicochemical properties, microbial communities, and metabolites of rhizosphere and bulk soils of pepper monocropping and pepper–maize intercropping systems.ResultsIntercropping significantly increased the contents of available phosphorus (AP) and available potassium (AK), and decreased the pH value, whereas it had little effect on the total nitrogen (TN) and organic matter (OM) in the rhizosphere and bulk soils, compared with those in monocropping pepper. Moreover, the OM content was higher in rhizosphere soil than in bulk soil. The microbial community structures and metabolite profiles also differed between the two systems. The diversity of bacteria and fungi increased in intercropped pepper. The relative abundances of Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Cyanobacteria, and Ascomycota were higher while those of Proteobacteria, Planctomycetes, Mucoromycota, and Basidiomycota were significantly lower in the rhizosphere and bulk soils from the intercropping system than in those from the monocropping system. Linear discriminant analysis revealed that the predominant bacteria and fungi in the rhizosphere soil from the intercropping system belonged to the order Sphingomonadales and genera Nitrospira, Phycicoccus and Auricularia, whereas those in the bulk soil from the intercropping system belonged to the phylum Acidobacteria and genera Calocera, Pseudogymnoascus, and Trichosporon. Intercropping promoted the secretion of flavonoids, alkaloids, and nucleotides and their derivatives in the rhizosphere soil and significantly increased the contents of organoheterocyclic compounds in the bulk soil. Furthermore, the AP and AK contents, and pH value had strong positive correlations with bacteria. In addition, co-occurrence network analysis also showed that asebogenin, trachelanthamidine, 5-methyldeoxycytidine, and soil pH were the key factors mediating root-soil-microbe interactions.ConclusionIntercropping can alter microbial community structures and soil metabolite composition in rhizosphere and bulk soils, enhancing soil nutrient contents, enriching soil beneficial microbes and secondary metabolites (flavonoids and alkaloids) of intercropped pepper, and provided a scientific basis for sustainable development in the pepper-maize intercropping system.

Impact of climate change on frequency and community structure of red tide events in the northern South China Sea

Impact of climate change on frequency and community structure of red tide events in the northern South China Sea

The Impact of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis on Intestinal Microbial Community Composition and Diversity in Small-Tail Han Sheep

Paratuberculosis (PTB), primarily caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), is a chronic infection that affects ruminants and is difficult to prevent, diagnose, and treat. Investigating how MAP infections affect the gut microbiota in sheep can aid in the prevention and treatment of ovine PTB. This study examined fecal samples from eight small-tail Han sheep (STHS) at various stages of infection and from three different field areas. All samples underwent DNA extraction and 16S rRNA sequencing. Among all samples, the phyla p. Firmicutes and p. Bacteroidota exhibited the highest relative abundance. The dominant genera in groups M1–M6 were UCG-005, Christensenellaceae_R-7_group, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, Akkermansia, UCG-005, and Bacteroides, whereas those in groups A–C were Christensenellaceae_R-7_group, Escherichia–Shigella, and Acinetobacter, respectively. The microbial community structure varied significantly among groups M1–M6. Specifically, 56 microbiota consortia with different taxonomic levels, including the order Clostridiales, were significantly enriched in groups M1–M6, whereas 96 microbiota consortia at different taxonomic levels, including the family Oscillospiraceae, were significantly enriched in groups A–C. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report that MAP infection alters the intestinal microbiota of STHS. Changes in p. Firmicutes abundance can serve as a potential biomarker to distinguish MAP infection and determine the infection stage for its early diagnosis. Our study provides a theoretical basis for the treatment of PTB by regulating the intestinal microbiota, including p. Firmicutes.

Application of Environmental DNA Metabarcoding to Differentiate Algal Communities by Littoral Zonation and Detect Unreported Algal Species

Coastal areas are the most biologically productive and undoubtedly among the most complex ecosystems. Algae are responsible for most of the gross primary production in these coastal regions. However, despite the critical importance of algae for the global ecosystem, the biodiversity of many algal groups is understudied, partially due to the high complexity of morphologically identifying algal species. The current study aimed to take advantage of the recently developed technology for biotic community assessment through the high-throughput sequencing (HTS) of environmental DNA (eDNA), known as the “eDNA metabarcoding”, to characterize littoral algal communities in the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGoM). This study demonstrated that eDNA metabarcoding, based on the universal plastid amplicon (UPA) and part of the large nuclear ribosomal subunit (LSU) molecular markers, could successfully differentiate coastal biotic communities among littoral zones and geographical locations along the shoreline of the NGoM. The statistical significance of separation between biotic communities was partially dependent on the dissimilarity calculation metric; thus, the differentiation of algal community structure according to littoral zones was more distinct when phylogenetic distances were incorporated into the diversity analysis. Current work demonstrated that the relative abundance of algal species obtained with eDNA metabarcoding matches previously established zonation patterns for these species. In addition, the present study detected molecular signals of 44 algal species without previous reports for the Gulf of Mexico, thus providing an important, molecular-validated baseline of species richness for this region.

Legacy effects of crop diversity on weed-crop competition in maize production

The legacy effects of crop diversity on maize (Zea mays L.) tissue nutrient composition, weed community structure, and intensity of weed-crop competition were assessed through a field experiment at two sites in the northeastern United States. Fields were conditioned with crop diversity gradients from summer 2016 to spring 2019. The crop diversity gradients ranged from a single cultivar to sixteen intercropped cultivars (four species, four cultivars per species) and were established in organic annual and perennial cropping systems. Following the three-year conditioning phase, maize was planted across the entire experiment, and each conditioning-phase diversity treatment was split into weed-free, ambient-weed, moderate-weed, and heavy-weed treatments. Within each cropping system, the effect of crop diversity legacy on weed-crop competition was negligible. In contrast, weed-crop competition varied between the maize grown in soil conditioned by the annual and perennial cropping systems.

16S rRNA Sequencing Analysis Uncovers Dose-Dependent Cupric Chloride Effects on Silkworm Gut Microbiome Composition and Diversity

Copper-based pesticides are extensively used in agriculture, yet their impacts on beneficial insects remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate how cupric chloride exposure affects the gut microbiome of Bombyx mori, a model organism crucial for silk production. Using 16S rRNA sequencing, we analyzed the gut bacterial communities of fifth-instar silkworm larvae exposed to different concentrations of cupric chloride (0, 4, and 8 g/kg) in an artificial diet. The high-dose exposure dramatically altered the microbial diversity and community structure, where the Bacteroidota abundance decreased from 50.43% to 23.50%, while Firmicutes increased from 0.93% to 18.92%. A network analysis revealed complex interactions between the bacterial genera, with Proteobacteria and Firmicutes emerging as key players in the community response to copper stress. The functional prediction indicated significant shifts in metabolic pathways and genetic information processing in the high-dose group. Notably, the low-dose treatment induced minimal changes in both the taxonomic composition and predicted functions, suggesting a threshold effect in the microbiome response to copper exposure. Our findings provide novel insights into how agricultural chemicals influence insect gut microbiota and highlight potential implications for silkworm health and silk production. This work contributes to understanding the ecological impacts of copper-based pesticides and may inform evidence-based policies for their use in sericulture regions.

The role of anthropogenic influences on a tropical lake ecosystem and its surrounding catchment: a case study of Lake Sentani.

Lake Sentani is a tropical lake in Indonesia, consisting of four interconnected sub-basins of different water depths. While previous work has highlighted the impact of catchment composition on biogeochemical processes in Lake Sentani, little is currently known about the microbiological characteristics across this unique ecosystem. With recent population growth in this historically rural area, the anthropogenic impact on Lake Sentani and hence its microbial life is also increasing. Therefore, we aimed to explore the influence of environmental and anthropogenic factors on the microbial diversity of Lake Sentani. Here we present a detailed microbiological evaluation of Lake Sentani, analyzing 49 different sites across the lake, its tributary rivers and their river mouths to assess diversity and community structure using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Our results reveal distinct communities in lake and river sediments, supporting the observed geochemical differences. Taxonomic assessment showed the potential impact of anthropogenic pressure along the northern, urbanized shore, as river and river mouth samples revealed high abundances of Bacteroidota, Firmicutes and Cyanobacteria, which could be attributed to pollution and eutriphication. In contrast, lake sediment communities were dominated by Thermodesulfovibrionia, Methanomethylicia, Bathyarchaeia and Thermoplasmata, suggesting sulfate reducing, thermophilic, acidophilic bacteria and methanogenic archaea to play an important role in tropical lake systems. This study provides novel insights into ecological functions of tropical lakes and contributes to the optimization of management strategies of Lake Sentani, ensuring its holistic preservation in the future.

Organic Amendments Enhance Peanut Nodulation by Influencing Interactions Between Rhizobia and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in the Peanut Rhizosphere

The primary mechanism through which organic amendments enhance the nodulation ability of leguminous crops involves increasing the content of available phosphorus (AP) in the soil. Despite this, the role of plant rhizosphere microbial communities has not been fully appreciated. This study investigated the impact of different fertilization treatments, including a no-fertilizer control group (CK), a chemical nitrogen–phosphorus–potassium treatment group (NPK), and a group treated with both organic manure and chemical NPK (NPKM), on the structure of microbial communities in the peanut rhizosphere and their nodulation ability using high-throughput sequencing technology, co-occurrence network analysis, and structural equation modeling. The peanut nodule count increased significantly on organic manure plus NPK application, ranging from 2.26 to 2.50 times that of the CK treatment group. Under NPKM treatment, the diversity of bacterial and rhizobial communities in the peanut rhizosphere significantly improved. Co-occurrence network analysis showed that the peanut rhizosphere microbial co-occurrence network under NPKM treatment was more complex. Additionally, the ecological importance of rhizobial groups within the network significantly increased. Further analysis of the interaction patterns between different microbial groups revealed that under NPKM treatment, the positive correlation ratio between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and rhizobia (RPAR) was significantly higher than that in the CK and NPK treatment groups. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis demonstrated that the RPAR significantly enhanced peanut nodulation ability, an effect that was positively modulated by AP. In summary, this study highlights the potential key role of the synergistic action between rhizobia and AMF in influencing the nodulation process of leguminous plants and provides a scientific basis for the effective management of plant microbial communities.

Effects of Straw at Different Fermentation Phases on Soil Nutrient Availability and Microbial Activity

Returning corn straw to the field is beneficial for improving soil fertility, but the fermentation phase significantly affects the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content. However, there is limited research on the effects of straw at different fermentation phases on soil microorganisms and soil nutrients. This study examined the effects of high-temperature fermentation phase straw (HF) and completely fermentation phase straw (CF) on soil nutrient activation and microorganism activity through pot experiments. The pot experiment results indicated a significant increase in soil DOC content following the application of corn straw, among which the high-temperature fermentation phase straw treatment (THF) exhibited the highest DOC content, which was 14% higher than the completely fermentation phase straw treatment (TCF). THF also significantly increased soil alkaline hydrolyzed nitrogen and available phosphorus content as well as urease and phosphatase, and promoted the uptake of nitrogen and phosphorus from soil by Brassica chinensis. THF significantly enhanced bacterial diversity and reduced the presence of pathogenic fungi. Compared to the TCF, the relative proportion of Fusarium under the THF decreased by 32.24%, effectively mitigating the impact of pathogenic fungi. THF also increased soil DOC content, enriched beneficial microbial community structure, increased soil enzyme activity, activated soil nutrients, thereby promoting the uptake of nitrogen and phosphorus by crops. Taken together, the results reveal that the application of high-temperature fermentation phase straw is conducive to soil fertilization and crop growth.

Bacterial Community Structure and Environmental Driving Factors in the Surface Sediments of Six Mangrove Sites from Guangxi, China

Mangroves, as blue carbon reservoirs, provide a unique habitat for supporting a variety of microorganisms. Among these, bacteria play crucial roles in the biogeochemical processes of mangrove sediments. However, little is known about their community composition, spatial distribution patterns, and environmental driving factors, particularly across the large geographical scales of mangrove wetlands. In this study, the composition and spatial distribution of the bacterial community structure and its response to fifteen physicochemical parameters (including temperature, pH, salinity, moisture, clay, silt, sand, organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), inorganic phosphorus (IP), organic phosphorus (OP), δ13C, δ15N, and carbon/nitrogen ratio (C/N ratio)) were characterized in 32 sampling locations of six different mangrove habitats from Guangxi, China, applying 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing technology and correlation analysis. Our results indicated that the spatial distribution patterns in bacterial communities were significantly different among the six different mangrove sites, as evidenced by NMDS (non-metric multidimensional scaling), ANOSIM (analysis of similarity), and LDA (linear discriminant analysis) analysis. Composition analysis of bacterial communities showed that overall, Chloroflexi (8.3–31.6%), Proteobacteria (13.6–30.1%), Bacteroidota (5.0–24.6%), and Desulfobacterota (3.8–24.0%) were the most abundant bacterial phyla in the mangrove surface sediments. Redundancy analysis (RDA) further highlighted that salinity, δ13C, temperature, δ15N, and silt were the most critical environmental variables influencing the composition of bacterial communities across the whole mangrove samples. Notably, Chloroflexi, one of the most abundant bacterial phyla in the mangrove wetlands, displayed a significantly positive correlation with OC and a negative correlation with δ13C, suggesting its essential role in the degradation of terrestrial-derived organic carbon. These findings support the current understanding of the roles of the bacterial communities and their interactions with environmental factors in diverse mangrove ecosystems.

Galacto-oligosaccharides alone and combined with lactoferrin impact the Kenyan infant gut microbiota and epithelial barrier integrity during iron supplementation in vitro

Aim: Iron supplementation to African weaning infants was associated with increased enteropathogen levels. While cohort studies demonstrated that specific prebiotics inhibit enteropathogens during iron supplementation, their mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we investigated the in vitro impact of galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) and iron-sequestering bovine lactoferrin (bLF) alone and combined on the gut microbiota of Kenyan infants during low-dose iron supplementation. Methods: Different doses of iron, GOS, and bLF were first screened during batch fermentations (n = 3), and the effect of these factors was studied on microbiota community structure and activity in the new Kenyan infant continuous intestinal PolyFermS model. The impact of different fermentation treatments on barrier integrity, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) infection, and inflammatory response was assessed using a transwell co-culture of epithelial and immune cells. Results: A dose-dependent increase in short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus /Leuconostoc /Pediococcus (LLP) growth was detected with GOS alone and combined with bLF during iron supplementation in batches. This was confirmed in the continuous PolyFermS model, which also showed a treatment-induced inhibition of opportunistic pathogens C. difficile and C. perfringens . In all tests, supplementation of iron alone and combined with bLF did not have a significant effect on microbiota composition and activity. We observed a strengthening of the epithelial barrier and a decrease in cell death and pro-inflammatory response during ETEC infection with microbiota fermentation supernatants from iron + GOS, iron + bLF, and iron + GOS + bLF treatments compared to iron alone. Conclusion: Overall, beneficial effects on infant gut microbiota were shown using advanced in vitro models for GOS alone and combined with bLF during low-dose iron supplementation.

Analisis Keanekaragaman dan Kelimpahan Plankton di Sungai Way Awi dan Hubungannya dengan Kualitas Air

Plankton serves as a bioindicator that can be used as a marker for water quality related to water saprobity index. Way Awi River is a river flowing from the Susunan Baru area, passing through the Tandjungkarang region, and reaching the Garuntang area. Liquid waste from households is often directly discharged into the river, without passing through a containment system such as a septic tank, resulting in river pollution. To understand this relationship, this research was conducted to determine the biological condition of the Way Awi River based on plankton community structure, including abundance index, diversity index, evenness index, and dominance index, as well as its correlation with water quality using Pearson correlation test. The research was conducted in the Way Awi River with sampling taken at five different stations from October to December 2023. Water samples were analyzed using physical parameters including water temperature and turbidity, while chemical parameters observed were pH, DO, BOD, and COD. Based on the analysis of plankton community structure, it was found that the water of Way Awi River is in a moderately polluted condition.

Short-Term Changes in Fecal Bacteriobiome of Healthy Laboratory Mice After Antiviral Preparation Administration

Backgound/Objective: Novel compounds for mitigating globally growing microbial resistance to antibiotics have been recently more actively researched. Triviron is a polycationic amphiphile synthetic compound with a ribonuclease activity and is used as an antiviral in veterinary medicine. Methods: We studied the effect of triviron on the mouse (line Balb/c) fecal bacteriobiome at different time points (0, 5, 25, and 120 h after a single intragastrical administration) by using amplicon sequence diversity of the V3/V4 region of 16S rRNA genes. Results: Most of the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belonged to Bacillota (1168 OTUs, i.e., 56% of the total number of OTUs in the study) and Bacteroidota (354, i.e., 17%), with the phyla together accounting for more than 90% of the total number of sequence reads. We found changed relative abundance of some bacterial taxa with time, including the dominating Bacteroidota and Bacillota phyla; some of the changes were sex-related, although at the start of the experiment, there were no difference between the sexes in their fecal bacteriobiome composition and structure. Conclusions: The results unequivocally demonstrated that in mice, feces bacterial community structure was affected by a one-time triviron administration, even at the highest hierarchical level of phyla. The finding that the core dominant phyla can be affected, with the effect lasting at least for five days, implies that some major and important functions of the gut microbiota can be affected as well.

Human oral microbiome as forensic biomarkers for individual identification: A systematic review

: The oral microbiome is a promising and novel source of biomarkers for forensic identification. It offers distinct signatures that may differentiate individuals, sparking new avenues of research and discovery.: This systematic review is meticulously designed to comprehensively consolidate current research on oral microbiome signatures in forensic contexts, leaving no stone unturned in our quest for knowledge. It focuses explicitly on microbial diversity, community structure, and specific taxa as potential markers for individual identification.s: To identify relevant studies published between 2014 and 2024, a comprehensive search of major scientific databases was conducted. Inclusion criteria encompassed peer-reviewed articles investigating oral microbiome diversity and specific microbial markers relevant to forensic individual identification. These studies were employed to evaluate the reliability and consistency of these biomarkers across diverse populations and environmental conditions.: The review included 13 studies that met the criteria, revealing significant associations between specific oral microbial taxa and individual identification. This systematic review highlighted consistent discriminatory power and stability of microbial signatures across varied populations.: Oral microbiome analysis is promising to enhance forensic investigations by providing unique biomarkers for individual identification. However, challenges such as standardization of microbiome studies and influences of environmental factors on microbiome underscore the need for further research to validate and effectively implement oral microbiome data in forensic practice.