Synthesis of Bioactive Nickel Nanoparticles Using Bacterial Strains from an Antarctic Consortium.

Marine microorganisms have been demonstrated to be an important source for bioactive molecules. In this paper we report the synthesis of Ni nanoparticles (NiSNPs) used as reducing and capping agents for five bacterial strains isolated from an Antarctic marine consortium: Marinomonas sp. ef1, Rhodococcus sp. ef1, Pseudomonas sp. ef1, Brevundimonas sp. ef1, and Bacillus sp. ef1. The NiSNPs were characterized by Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis. The maximum absorbances in the UV-Vis spectra were in the range of 374 nm to 422 nm, corresponding to the Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of Nickel. DLS revealed NiSNPs with sizes between 40 and 45 nm. All NiSNPs were polycrystalline with a face-centered cubic lattice, as revealed by XRD analyses. The NiSNPs zeta potential values were highly negative. TEM analysis showed that the NiSNPs were either spherical or rod shaped, well segregated, and with a size between 20 and 50 nm. The FTIR spectra revealed peaks of amino acid and protein binding to the NiSNPs. Finally, all the NiSNPs possess significant antimicrobial activity, which may play an important role in the management of infectious diseases affecting human health.

Synthesis of Bioactive Silver Nanoparticles Using New Bacterial Strains from an Antarctic Consortium.

In this study, we report on the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) achieved by using three bacterial strains Rhodococcus, Brevundimonas and Bacillus as reducing and capping agents, newly isolated from a consortium associated with the Antarctic marine ciliate Euplotes focardii. After incubation of these bacteria with a 1 mM solution of AgNO3 at 22 °C, AgNPs were synthesized within 24 h. Unlike Rhodococcus and Bacillus, the reduction of Ag+ from AgNO3 into Ag0 has never been reported for a Brevundimonas strain. The maximum absorbances of these AgNPs in the UV-Vis spectra were in the range of 404 nm and 406 nm. EDAX spectra showed strong signals from the Ag atom and medium signals from C, N and O due to capping protein emissions. TEM analysis showed that the NPs were spherical and rod-shaped, with sizes in the range of 20 to 50 nm, and they were clustered, even though not in contact with one another. Besides aggregation, all the AgNPs showed significant antimicrobial activity. This biosynthesis may play a dual role: detoxification of AgNO3 and pathogen protection against both the bacterium and ciliate. Biosynthetic AgNPs also represent a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics against common nosocomial pathogens.

An In-Silico Comparative Study of Lipases from the Antarctic Psychrophilic Ciliate Euplotes focardii and the Mesophilic Congeneric Species Euplotes crassus: Insight into Molecular Cold-Adaptation.

Cold-adapted enzymes produced by psychrophilic organisms have elevated catalytic activities at low temperatures compared to their mesophilic counterparts. This is largely due to amino acids changes in the protein sequence that often confer increased molecular flexibility in the cold. Comparison of structural changes between psychrophilic and mesophilic enzymes often reveal molecular cold adaptation. In the present study, we performed an in-silico comparative analysis of 104 hydrolytic enzymes belonging to the family of lipases from two evolutionary close marine ciliate species: The Antarctic psychrophilic Euplotes focardii and the mesophilic Euplotes crassus. By applying bioinformatics approaches, we compared amino acid composition and predicted secondary and tertiary structures of these lipases to extract relevant information relative to cold adaptation. Our results not only confirm the importance of several previous recognized amino acid substitutions for cold adaptation, as the preference for small amino acid, but also identify some new factors correlated with the secondary structure possibly responsible for enhanced enzyme activity at low temperatures. This study emphasizes the subtle sequence and structural modifications that may help to transform mesophilic into psychrophilic enzymes for industrial applications by protein engineering.

Biogenic Synthesis of Copper Nanoparticles Using Bacterial Strains Isolated from an Antarctic Consortium Associated to a Psychrophilic Marine Ciliate: Characterization and Potential Application as Antimicrobial Agents.

In the last decade, metal nanoparticles (NPs) have gained significant interest in the field of biotechnology due to their unique physiochemical properties and potential uses in a wide range of applications. Metal NP synthesis using microorganisms has emerged as an eco-friendly, clean, and viable strategy alternative to chemical and physical approaches. Herein, an original and efficient route for the microbial synthesis of copper NPs using bacterial strains newly isolated from an Antarctic consortium is described. UV-visible spectra of the NPs showed a maximum absorbance in the range of 380-385 nm. Transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that these NPs are all monodispersed, spherical in nature, and well segregated without any agglomeration and with an average size of 30 nm. X-ray powder diffraction showed a polycrystalline nature and face centered cubic lattice and revealed characteristic diffraction peaks indicating the formation of CuONPs. Fourier-transform infrared spectra confirmed the presence of capping proteins on the NP surface that act as stabilizers. All CuONPs manifested antimicrobial activity against various types of Gram-negative; Gram-positive bacteria; and fungi pathogen microorganisms including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. The cost-effective and eco-friendly biosynthesis of these CuONPs make them particularly attractive in several application from nanotechnology to biomedical science.

Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Candidate Genes Related to the Linoleic Acid Content in Soybean Seeds.

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) oil is a complex mixture of five fatty acids (palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic). The high content of linoleic acid (LA) contributes to the oil having poor oxidative stability. Therefore, soybean seed with a lower LA content is desirable. To investigate the genetic architecture of LA, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using 510 soybean cultivars collected from China. The phenotypic identification results showed that the content of LA varied from 36.22% to 72.18%. The GWAS analysis showed that there were 37 genes related to oleic acid content, with a contribution rate of 7%. The candidate gene Glyma.04G116500.1 (GmWRI14) on chromosome 4 was detected in three consecutive years. The GmWRI14 showed a negative correlation with the LA content and the correlation coefficient was -0.912. To test whether GmWRI14 can lead to a lower LA content in soybean, we introduced GmWRI14 into the soybean genome. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF IMS) showed that the overexpression of GmWRI14 leads to a lower LA content in soybean seeds. Meanwhile, RNA-seq verified that GmWRI14-overexpressed soybean lines showed a lower accumulation of GmFAD2-1A and GmFAD2-1B than control lines. Our results indicate that the down-regulation of the FAD2 gene triggered by the transcription factor GmWRI14 is the underlying mechanism reducing the LA level of seed. Our results provide novel insights into the genetic architecture of LA and pinpoint potential candidate genes for further in-depth studies.

Genome-wide association study identifies candidate genes related to oleic acid content in soybean seeds.

BACKGROUND: Soybean oil is a complex mixture of five fatty acids (palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic). Soybean oil with a high oleic acid content is desirable because this monounsaturated fatty acid improves the oxidative stability of the oil. To investigate the genetic architecture of oleic acid in soybean seeds, 260 soybean germplasms from Northeast China were collected as natural populations. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted on a panel of 260 germplasm resources. RESULTS: Phenotypic identification results showed that the oleic acid content varied from 8.2 to 35.0%. A total of 2,311,337 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were obtained. GWAS analysis showed that there were many genes related to oleic acid content with a contribution rate of 7%. The candidate genes Glyma.11G229600.1 on chromosome 11 and Glyma.04G102900.1 on chromosome 4 were detected in a 2-year-long GWAS. The candidate gene Glyma.11G229600.1 showed a positive correlation with the oleic acid content, and the correlation coefficient was 0.980, while Glyma.04G102900.1 showed a negative correlation, with a coefficient of - 0.964. CONCLUSIONS: Glyma.04G102900.1 on chromosome 4 and Glyma.11G229600.1 on chromosome 11 were detected in both analyses (2018 and 2019). Glyma.04G102900.1 and Glyma.11G229600.1 are new key candidate genes related to oleic acid in soybean seeds. These results will be useful for high-oleic soybean breeding.

Synthesis of Bioactive Silver Nanoparticles by a Pseudomonas Strain Associated with the Antarctic Psychrophilic Protozoon Euplotes focardii.

The synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by microorganisms recently gained a greater interest due to its potential to produce them in various sizes and morphologies. In this study, for AgNP biosynthesis, we used a new Pseudomonas strain isolated from a consortium associated with the Antarctic marine ciliate Euplotes focardii. After incubation of Pseudomonas cultures with 1 mM of AgNO3 at 22 °C, we obtained AgNPs within 24 h. Scanning electron (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed spherical polydispersed AgNPs in the size range of 20-70 nm. The average size was approximately 50 nm. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) showed the presence of a high intensity absorption peak at 3 keV, a distinctive property of nanocrystalline silver products. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy found the presence of a high amount of AgNP-stabilizing proteins and other secondary metabolites. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed a face-centred cubic (fcc) diffraction spectrum with a crystalline nature. A comparative study between the chemically synthesized and Pseudomonas AgNPs revealed a higher antibacterial activity of the latter against common nosocomial pathogen microorganisms, including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. This study reports an efficient, rapid synthesis of stable AgNPs by a new Pseudomonas strain with high antimicrobial activity.

Soybean plants expressing the Bacillus thuringiensis cry8-like gene show resistance to Holotrichia parallela.

BACKGROUND: Cry8-like from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) encodes an insecticidal crystal (Cry) protein. Holotrichia parallela (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidae), commonly known as the dark black chafer, is a troublesome pest of soybean (Glycine max). To test whether cry8-like can confer resistance against H. parallela to soybean, we introduced cry8-like from the Bt strain HBF-18 into soybean cultivar Jinong 28. RESULTS: Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR analysis demonstrated that cry8-like was expressed most highly in soybean leaves. In addition, Southern blot assays revealed that one copy of the integrated fragment was present in the transformed plants. Eight independent cry8-like transgenic lines were subsequently fed on by H. parallela. Under H. parallela feeding stress, the survival rates of the non-transgenic plants were 92% lower than those of the transgenic plants. The mortality rate of H. parallela increased when the larvae fed on the roots of T1 transgenic soybean plants. Moreover, the surviving larvae were deformed, and their growth was inhibited. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, our data suggest that transgenic soybean plants expressing the cry8-like gene are more resistant to H. parallela than non-transgenic plants and that transgenic expression of the cry8-like gene may represent a promising strategy for engineering pest tolerance. The events generated in this study could thus be utilized in soybean breeding programs.

Rational Engineering of a Cold-Adapted α-Amylase from the Antarctic Ciliate Euplotes focardii for Simultaneous Improvement of Thermostability and Catalytic Activity.

The α-amylases are endo-acting enzymes that hydrolyze starch by randomly cleaving the 1,4-α-d-glucosidic linkages between the adjacent glucose units in a linear amylose chain. They have significant advantages in a wide range of applications, particularly in the food industry. The eukaryotic α-amylase isolated from the Antarctic ciliated protozoon Euplotes focardii (EfAmy) is an alkaline enzyme, different from most of the α-amylases characterized so far. Furthermore, EfAmy has the characteristics of a psychrophilic α-amylase, such as the highest hydrolytic activity at a low temperature and high thermolability, which is the major drawback of cold-active enzymes in industrial applications. In this work, we applied site-directed mutagenesis combined with rational design to generate a cold-active EfAmy with improved thermostability and catalytic efficiency at low temperatures. We engineered two EfAmy mutants. In one mutant, we introduced Pro residues on the A and B domains in surface loops. In the second mutant, we changed Val residues to Thr close to the catalytic site. The aim of these substitutions was to rigidify the molecular structure of the enzyme. Furthermore, we also analyzed mutants containing these combined substitutions. Biochemical enzymatic assays of engineered versions of EfAmy revealed that the combination of mutations at the surface loops increased the thermostability and catalytic efficiency of the enzyme. The possible mechanisms responsible for the changes in the biochemical properties are discussed by analyzing the three-dimensional structural model.IMPORTANCE Cold-adapted enzymes have high specific activity at low and moderate temperatures, a property that can be extremely useful in various applications as it implies a reduction in energy consumption during the catalyzed reaction. However, the concurrent high thermolability of cold-adapted enzymes often limits their applications in industrial processes. The α-amylase from the psychrophilic Antarctic ciliate Euplotes focardii (named EfAmy) is a cold-adapted enzyme with optimal catalytic activity in an alkaline environment. These unique features distinguish it from most α-amylases characterized so far. In this work, we engineered a novel EfAmy with improved thermostability, substrate binding affinity, and catalytic efficiency to various extents, without impacting its pH preference. These characteristics can be considered important properties for use in the food, detergent, and textile industries and in other industrial applications. The enzyme engineering strategy developed in this study may also provide useful knowledge for future optimization of molecules to be used in particular industrial applications.

UV Radiation and Visible Light Induce hsp70 Gene Expression in the Antarctic Psychrophilic Ciliate Euplotes focardii.

The psychrophilic ciliate Euplotes focardii inhabits the shallow marine coastal sediments of Antarctica, where, over millions of years of evolution, it has reached a strict molecular adaptation to such a constant-temperature environment (about -2 °C). This long evolution at sub-zero temperatures has made E. focardii unable to respond to heat stress with the activation of its heat shock protein (hsp) 70 genes. These genes can, however, be expressed in response to other stresses, like the oxidative one, thus indicating that the molecular adaptation has exclusively altered the heat stress signaling pathways, while it has preserved hsp70 gene activation in response to other environmental stressors. Since radiative stress has proved to be affine to oxidative stress in several organisms, we investigated the capability of UV radiation to induce hsp70 transcription. E. focardii cell cultures were exposed to several different irradiation regimes, ranging from visible only to a mixture of visible, UV-A and UV-B. The irradiation values of each spectral band have been set to be comparable with those recorded in a typical Antarctic spring. Using Northern blot analysis, we measured the expression level of hsp70 immediately after irradiation (0-h-labeled samples), 1 h, and 2 h from the end of the irradiation. Surprisingly, our results showed that besides UV radiation, the visible light was also able to induce hsp70 expression in E. focardii. Moreover, spectrophotometric measurements have revealed no detectable endogenous pigments in E. focardii, making it difficult to propose a possible explanation for the visible light induction of its hsp70 genes. Further research is needed to conclusively clarify this point.

Microbial Consortium Associated with the Antarctic Marine Ciliate Euplotes focardii: An Investigation from Genomic Sequences.

We report the characterization of the bacterial consortium associated to Euplotes focardii, a strictly psychrophilic marine ciliate that was maintained in laboratory cultures at 4 °C after its first isolation from Terra Nova Bay, in Antarctica. By Illumina genome analyser, we obtained 11,179 contigs of potential prokaryotic origin and classified them according to the NCBI's prokaryotic attributes table. The majority of these sequences correspond to either Bacteroidetes (16 %) or Proteobacteria (78 %). The latter were dominated by gamma- (39 %, including sequences related to the pathogenic genus Francisella), and alpha-proteobacterial (30 %) sequences. Analysis of the Pfam domain family and Gene Ontology term variation revealed that the most frequent terms that appear unique to this consortium correspond to proteins involved in "transmembrane transporter activity" and "oxidoreductase activity". Furthermore, we identified genes that encode for enzymes involved in the catabolism of complex substance for energy reserves. We also characterized members of the transposase and integrase superfamilies, whose role in bacterial evolution is well documented, as well as putative antifreeze proteins. Antibiotic treatments of E. focardii cultures delayed the cell division of the ciliate. To conclude, our results indicate that this consortium is largely represented by bacteria derived from the original Antarctic sample and may contribute to the survival of E. focardii in laboratory condition. Furthermore, our results suggest that these bacteria may have a more general role in E. focardii survival in its natural cold and oxidative environment.

Relationship between genome and epigenome--challenges and requirements for future research.

Understanding the links between genetic, epigenetic and non-genetic factors throughout the lifespan and across generations and their role in disease susceptibility and disease progression offer entirely new avenues and solutions to major problems in our society. To overcome the numerous challenges, we have come up with nine major conclusions to set the vision for future policies and research agendas at the European level.

Association between Food or Nutrients and Gut Microbiota in Healthy and Helminth-Infected Women of Reproductive Age from Zanzibar, Tanzania.

Modulating the gut microbiota is recognised as one strategy for preventing and fighting diseases. While the significant impact of diet on the gut microbiota's composition and function has been extensively researched, there is a notable lack of studies on the interactions between diet, microbiota, and helminth infections. Here, we used a combination of self-reported food intake and a 16S rDNA sequencing approach to analyse the composition of the gut microbiota in women of reproductive age from the two main islands of the Zanzibar archipelago, where helminth infections are endemic. We also applied a Spearman correlation analysis to food/nutrients and gut microbiota. Our results reveal that, despite close ethnic and cultural ties, the participants' gut microbiota differs depending on their location. A nutrient intake analysis revealed deficiencies in minerals and vitamins, indicating an imbalanced diet. A correlation analysis identified bacterial taxa consistently correlated with specific food or nutrients in healthy women from both locations, and in two types of helminth infections. Escherichia/Shigella abundances, usually associated with Trichuris trichiura infection, consistently correlated with insufficient levels of vitamins B2 and B12. In conclusion, our findings suggest that the increased consumption of specific food like cassava and fish, as well as essential nutrients such as calcium, B vitamins, and vitamin A, may modulate the gut microbiota of populations residing in regions where helminth infections are endemic.

Characterization and comparative analysis of psychrophilic and mesophilic alpha-amylases from Euplotes species: a contribution to the understanding of enzyme thermal adaptation.

The eukaryotic α-amylase isolated from the psychrophilic ciliated protozoon Euplotes focardii (EfAmy) was expressed in Escherichia coli and biochemically characterized. Its enzymatic activity was compared to that of the homologous protein from the mesophilic congeneric species Euplotes crassus (EcAmy). The comparison of the amino acid composition and the surface residue composition of the two enzymes indicated a preference for tiny residues and the avoidance of charged, aromatic and hydrophobic residues in EfAmy. Our comparative homology modeling study reveals a lack of surface salt bridges, a decreased number of the surface charged residues, decreased hydrogen bonds and bound ions, and a reduction of aromatic-sulfur interactions, cationic-π interactions and disulfide interactions in EfAmy. In contrast, sequence alignment and homology modeling showed five unconserved prolines located on the surface loops of EcAmy. By analyzing amylolytic activity towards soluble starch as the substrate, we determined the temperature and pH dependence, thermostability and kinetic parameters of these two enzymes. We demonstrated that EfAmy shows the characteristics of a psychrophilic α-amylase, such as the highest hydrolytic activity at low temperatures and high thermolability. In contrast, the EcAmy showed mesophilic characteristics with the highest activity at moderate temperatures and a more than 2-fold increased half-life at 50°C compared to EfAmy. The kcat and KM values of EfAmy were higher than those of the mesophilic EcAmy at all tested temperatures. Furthermore, both EfAmy and EcAmy showed maximum activities at pH 9 and maintained high activities in the presence of surfactants. These results suggest the potential applications of EfAmy and EcAmy as ingredients in detergents for industrial applications.

"CADASIL coma" in an Italian homozygous CADASIL patient: comparison with clinical and MRI findings in age-matched heterozygous patients with the same G528C NOTCH3 mutation.

Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is a genetic disorder caused by mutations in the NOTCH3 gene, with a striking variability in phenotypic expression. To date, only two homozygous patients have been reported, with divergent phenotypic features. We describe an Italian CADASIL patient, homozygous for G528C mutation, in whom early manifestation of the disease was migraine, but whose clinical evolution was characterized by a reversible acute encephalopathy followed by full recovery ("CADASIL coma"). Clinical evaluation, MR scan, neuropsychological and neurophysiological investigation did not reveal substantial differences between our homozygous patient and her heterozygous relatives sharing the same mutation, or between our patient and a group of heterozygous individuals with the same mutation but from different families. Skin biopsy identified peculiar features in the homozygous patient, with cytoplasmic pseudoinclusions likely containing granular osmiophilic material (GOM) in the vascular smooth muscle cells, but further studies are necessary to substantiate their possible relationships with CADASIL homozygosis. "CADASIL coma" did not seem to be specific of patient's homozygosis, since it was observed in one of her heterozygous relatives, whereas its pathogenesis seems to be related to peculiar constellations of unknown predisposing factors. The present study demonstrated that CADASIL conforms to the classical definition of dominant diseases, according to which homozygotes and heterozygotes for a defect are phenotypically indistinguishable.

Comprehensive insights on environmental adaptation strategies in Antarctic bacteria and biotechnological applications of cold adapted molecules.

Climate change and the induced environmental disturbances is one of the major threats that have a strong impact on bacterial communities in the Antarctic environment. To cope with the persistent extreme environment and inhospitable conditions, psychrophilic bacteria are thriving and displaying striking adaptive characteristics towards severe external factors including freezing temperature, sea ice, high radiation and salinity which indicates their potential in regulating climate change's environmental impacts. The review illustrates the different adaptation strategies of Antarctic microbes to changing climate factors at the structural, physiological and molecular level. Moreover, we discuss the recent developments in "omics" approaches to reveal polar "blackbox" of psychrophiles in order to gain a comprehensive picture of bacterial communities. The psychrophilic bacteria synthesize distinctive cold-adapted enzymes and molecules that have many more industrial applications than mesophilic ones in biotechnological industries. Hence, the review also emphasizes on the biotechnological potential of psychrophilic enzymes in different sectors and suggests the machine learning approach to study cold-adapted bacteria and engineering the industrially important enzymes for sustainable bioeconomy.

Structural thermal adaptation of ß-tubulins from the Antarctic psychrophilic protozoan Euplotes focardii.

Tubulin dimers of psychrophilic eukaryotes can polymerize into microtubules at 4°C, a temperature at which microtubules from mesophiles disassemble. This unique capability requires changes in the primary structure and/or in post-translational modifications of the tubulin subunits. To contribute to the understanding of mechanisms responsible for microtubule cold stability, here we present a computational structural analysis based on molecular dynamics (MD) and experimental data of three ß-tubulin isotypes, named EFBT2, EFBT3, and EFBT4, from the Antarctic protozoon Euplotes focardii that optimal temperature for growth and reproduction is 4°C. In comparison to the ß-tubulin from E. crassus, a mesophilic Euplotes species, EFBT2, EFBT3, and EFBT4 possess unique amino acid substitutions that confer different flexible properties of the polypeptide, as well as an increased hydrophobicity of the regions involved in microtubule interdimeric contacts that may overcome the microtubule destabilizing effect of cold temperatures. The structural analysis based on MD indicated that all isotypes display different flexibility properties in the regions involved in the formation of longitudinal and lateral contacts during microtubule polymerization. We also investigated the role of E. focardii ß-tubulin isotypes during the process of cilia formation. The unique characteristics of the primary and tertiary structures of psychrophilic ß-tubulin isotypes seem responsible for the formation of microtubules with distinct dynamic and functional properties.

Ciliate Microtubule Diversities: Insights from the EFBTU3 Tubulin in the Antarctic Ciliate Euplotes focardii.

Protozoans of the Phylum Ciliophora (ciliates) assemble many diverse microtubular structures in a single cell throughout the life cycle, a feature that made them useful models to study microtubule complexity and the role of tubulin isotypes. In the Antarctic ciliate Euplotes focardii we identified five ß-tubulin isotypes by genome sequencing, named EFBTU1, EFBTU2, EFBTU3, EFBTU4 and EFBTU5. By using polyclonal antibodies directed against EFBTU2/EFBTU1 and EFBTU3, we show that the former isotypes appear to be involved in the formation of all microtubular structures and are particularly abundant in cilia, whereas the latter specifically localizes at the bases of cilia. By RNA interference (RNAi) technology, we silenced the EFBTU3 gene and provided evidence that this isotype has a relevant role in cilia regeneration upon deciliation and in cell division. These results support the long-standing concept that tubulin isotypes possess functional specificity in building diverse microtubular structures.

Dissection of the gut microbiota in mothers and children with chronic Trichuris trichiura infection in Pemba Island, Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Soil-transmitted helminthiases are important neglected tropical diseases that result in a notably high number of disability-adjusted life years worldwide. Characterizing the interactions between the human intestinal microbiome and helminths is of interest in the development of alternative treatments that do not rely on chemotherapeutics and do not lead to drug resistance. METHODS: We recruited and obtained fecal samples from 32 pairs of mothers and children on Pemba Island and monitored their intestinal microbiota using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. RESULTS: We observed that microbial changes occur in the gut microbiota of infected mothers and children. Some short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria and carbohydrate-degrading bacteria exhibited lower abundance in the infected individuals. Potentially pathogenic Campylobacter and proinflammatory Methanobrevibacter in infected mothers and opportunistic Enterococcus in infected children exhibited greater abundance. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings could reveal the microbiota profiling in T. trichiura-infected individuals, indicate the potential roles of key microbiota in the host and aid to the development of novel strategies to control T. trichiura infection.