Exploring the Impact of Short Term Travel on Gut Microbiota and Probiotic Bacteria Mediated Stability.

Although travelers are frequently accompanied by abdominal discomfort and even diarrhea, not every trip can cause this issue. Many studies have reported that intestinal microbes play an important role in it. However, little is known about the reason for the dynamics of these intestinal microbes. Here, we delved into the effects of short-term travel on the gut microbiota of 12 healthy individuals. A total of 72 fecal samples collected before and after one-week travel, alongside non-traveling controls, underwent amplicon sequencing and a series of bioinformatic analyses. We found that travel significantly increased intra-individual gut microbiota fluctuations without diarrhea symptoms. In addition, the initial composition of the gut microbiota before travel emerged as a crucial factor in understanding these fluctuations. Travelers with stable microbiota exhibited an enrichment of specific probiotic bacteria (Agathobaculum, Faecalibacterium, Bifidobacterium, Roseburia, Lactobacillus) before travel. Another batch of data validated their predictive role in distinguishing travelers with and without the gut microbial disorder. This work provided valuable insights into understanding the relationship between gut microbiota and travel. It offered a microbiota-centric perspective and a potential avenue for interventions to preserve gut health during travel.

A cross-sectional cohort study on the skin microbiota in patients with different acne durations.

Acne is a chronic disease that often persists for years. Skin microbial communities play an essential role in the development of acne. However, limited information is available about the dynamic patterns of skin microbiota in acne. This study aimed to characterize microbial community changes in skin pores and surfaces of acne patients with varying disease time. In this study, a total of 70 skin samples from 22 subjects were collected and sequenced using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Although microbial compositions in skin pores were similar over time, significant differences in microbial structure were observed on the skin surface, with the dominance of Cutibacterium in the first 3 years and replacement by Staphylococcus in 4-6 years. Lactobacillus and Acinetobacter were more abundant in the normal group and continuingly decreased with disease time on the skin surface. Microbial networks further revealed substantial increases in microbial interactions in the 4-6 years group in both skin surfaces and pores. These results demonstrate that the skin microbiota alters with the disease duration and may provide a potential guide in redirecting skin microbiota towards healthy states.

Enzymatic properties of alcohol dehydrogenase PedE_M.s. derived from Methylopila sp. M107 and its broad metal selectivity.

As an important metabolic enzyme in methylotrophs, pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ)-dependent alcohol dehydrogenases play significant roles in the global carbon and nitrogen cycles. In this article, a calcium (Ca2+)-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase PedE_M.s., derived from the methylotroph Methylopila sp. M107 was inserted into the modified vector pCM80 and heterologously expressed in the host Methylorubrum extorquens AM1. Based on sequence analysis, PedE_M.s., a PQQ-dependent dehydrogenase belonging to a methanol/ethanol family, was successfully extracted and purified. Showing by biochemical results, its enzymatic activity was detected as 0.72 U/mg while the Km value was 0.028 mM while employing ethanol as optimal substrate. The activity of PedE_M.s. could be enhanced by the presence of potassium (K+) and calcium (Ca2+), while acetonitrile and certain common detergents have been found to decrease the activity of PedE_M.s.. In addition, its optimum temperature and pH were 30°C and pH 9.0, respectively. Chiefly, as a type of Ca2+-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase, PedE_M.s. maintained 60-80% activity in the presence of 10 mM lanthanides and displayed high affinity for ethanol compared to other PedE-type enzymes. The 3D structure of PedE_M.s. was predicted by AlphaFold, and it had an 8-bladed propeller-like super-barrel. Meanwhile, we could speculate that PedE_M.s. contained the conserved residues Glu213, Asn300, and Asp350 through multiple sequence alignment by Clustal and ESpript. The analysis of enzymatic properties of PedE_M.s. enriches our knowledge of the methanol/ethanol family PQQ-dependent dehydrogenase. This study provides new ideas to broaden the application of alcohol dehydrogenase in alcohol concentration calculation, biosensor preparation, and other industries.

Exogenous microbiota-derived metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide treatment alters social behaviors: Involvement of hippocampal metabolic adaptation.

Increasing evidence indicates that gut microbiota and its metabolites can influence the brain function and the related behaviors. Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), an indirect metabolite of gut microbiota, has been linked to aging, cognitive impairment, and many brain disorders. However, the potential effects of TMAO on social behaviors remain elusive. The present study investigated the effects of early life systemic TMAO exposure and intra-hippocampal TMAO infusion during adulthood on social behaviors in mice. We also analyzed the effects of intra-hippocampus infusion of TMAO during adulthood on levels of metabolites. The results showed that both systemic TMAO exposure in the post-weaning period and intra-hippocampal TMAO infusion during adulthood decreased social rank and reduced sexual preference in adult mice. Data from LC-MS metabolomics analysis showed that intra-hippocampal TMAO infusion induced a total 207 differential metabolites, which belongs to several metabolic or signaling pathways, especially FoxO signaling pathway and retrograde endocannabinoid signaling pathway. These data suggest that TMAO may affect social behaviors by regulating metabolites in the hippocampus, which may provide a new insight into the role of gut microbiota in regulating social behaviors.