RESUMO

Flying pigeons (Columbia livia) are extensively studied for their physical endurance and superior sense of orientation. The extreme physical endurance of which these birds are capable creates a unique opportunity to investigate the possible impact of long-distance flying on the taxonomy and metabolic function of the gut microbiota. This project was enabled by access to two groups of pigeons raised by the same breeder in the same conditions, except that one group was trained in long-distance flying and participated in multiple races covering a total distance of over 2600 km over a 9-week period. In contrast, the second group did not fly. The fecal microbiota was analyzed using 16S amplicon sequencing, and the taxonomy and metabolic function were inferred from this sequence data. Based on phylogenetic distance and metabolic function, flying and non-flying pigeons were found to harbor distinct bacterial microbiota. The microbiota taxonomy varied extensively between the birds, whereas the inferred metabolic potential was relatively stable. Age was not a significant determinant of the fecal microbiota profile. In flying birds, the metabolic pathways annotated with biosynthesis were enriched, representing 60% of the 20 metabolic pathways that were most closely associated with flying.

RESUMO

Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactors are alternatives in the anaerobic treatment of sanitary sewage in different parts of the world; however, in temperate environments, they are subject to strong seasonal influence. Understanding the dynamics of the microbial community in these systems is essential to propose operational alternatives, improve projects and increase the quality of treated effluents. In this study, for one year, high-performance sequencing, associated with bioinformatics tools for taxonomic annotation and functional prediction was used to characterize the microbial community present in the sludge of biodigesters on full-scale, treating domestic sewage at ambient temperature. Among the most representative phyla stood out Desulfobacterota (20.21-28.64%), Proteobacteria (7.48-24.90%), Bacteroidota (10.05-18.37%), Caldisericota (9.49-17.20%), and Halobacterota (3.23-6.55%). By performing a Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA), Methanolinea was correlated to the efficiency in removing Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Bacteroidetes_VadinHA17 to the production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs), and CI75cm.2.12 at temperature. On the other hand, Desulfovibrio, Spirochaetaceae_uncultured, Methanosaeta, Lentimicrobiaceae_unclassified, and ADurb.Bin063-1 were relevant in shaping the microbial community in a co-occurrence network. Diversity analyses showed greater richness and evenness for the colder seasons, possibly, due to the lesser influence of dominant taxa. Among the principal metabolic functions associated with the community, the metabolism of proteins and amino acids stood out (7.74-8.00%), and the genes related to the synthesis of VFAs presented higher relative abundance for the autumn and winter. Despite the differences in diversity and taxonomic composition, no significant changes were observed in the efficiency of the biodigesters.

Assuntos

Microbiota , Esgotos , Esgotos/microbiologia , Anaerobiose , Estações do Ano , Brasil , Reatores Biológicos/microbiologia , Metano/metabolismo , Eliminação de Resíduos Líquidos

RESUMO

Gut microbiota are influenced by factors such as diet, habitat, and social contact, which directly affect the host's health. Studies related to gut microbiota in non-human primates are increasing worldwide. However, little remains known about the gut bacterial composition in wild Brazilian monkeys. Therefore, we studied the fecal microbiota composition of wild black capuchin monkey (Sapajus nigritus) (n=10) populations from two different Atlantic Forest biome fragments (five individuals per fragment) in south Brazil. The bacterial community was identified via the high-throughput sequencing and partial amplification of the 16S rRNA gene (V4 region) using an Ion Personal Genome Machine (PGMTM) System. In contrast to other studies involving monkey microbiota, which have generally reported the phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes as predominant, black capuchin monkeys showed a high relative abundance of Proteobacteria ( χ ¯ = 80.54%), followed by Firmicutes ( χ ¯ = 12.14%), Actinobacteria ( χ ¯ = 4.60%), and Bacteriodetes ( χ ¯ = 1.31%). This observed particularity may have been influenced by anthropogenic actions related to the wild habitat and/or diet specific to the Brazilian biome's characteristics and/or monkey foraging behavior. Comparisons of species richness (Chao1) and diversity indices (Simpson and InvSimpson) showed no significant differences between the two groups of monkeys. Interestingly, PICRUSt2 analysis revealed that metabolic pathways present in the bacterial communities were associated with xenobiotic biodegradation and the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, which may suggest positive effects on monkey health and conservation in this anthropogenic habitat. Infectious disease-associated microorganisms were also observed in the samples. The present study provides information about the bacterial population and metabolic functions present in fecal microbiota, which may contribute to a better understanding of the ecology and biology of black capuchin monkeys living in forest fragments within the Atlantic Forest biome in southern Brazil. Additionally, the present study demonstrates that the fecal bacterial communities of wild black capuchin monkeys in this area are divergent from those of other wild non-human primates.

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Intestinal microbiota are recognized as an organ with important physiological functions whose alterations have been associated with common diseases including inflammatory intestinal conditions, malnutrition, type-2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. The composition and function of the microbiota in the distal part of the intestine has been mainly described, while there is limited information on the small intestine microbiota. The objective of the present study was to describe the duodenal microbiome in individuals with dyspepsia in the presence or absence of Helicobacter pylori gastric infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight biopsies from the proximal duodenum of uninfected and 37 from H pylori-infected individuals were analyzed. Microbiota composition was assessed by PCR amplification and sequencing of 16S rRNA and ITS genes; sequences were analyzed with QIIME2. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: At the phyla level, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Fusobacteria were predominant in the mucosal associated duodenal microbiota (MAM); at the genera level, we observed the predominance of Ralstonia, Streptococcus, Pseudomonas, Haemophilus, Herbaspirillum, Neisseria, and Veillonella. Microbiota α-diversity was higher in H pylori-infected individuals than in non-infected ones. In terms of ß-diversity metrics, there was a statistically significant difference between groups. Also, relative abundance of Haemophilus, Neisseria, Prevotella pallens, Prevotella 7, and Streptococcus was greater in H pylori-infected patients. In infected patients, several types of H pylori were present in duodenal MAM. Finally, the majority of duodenal samples had fungi sequences; the most common taxa observed were Recurvomyces followed by Ascomycota and Basidiomycota.

Assuntos

Duodeno/microbiologia , Infecções por Helicobacter , Microbiota , Bactérias/classificação , DNA Espaçador Ribossômico/genética , Fungos/classificação , Infecções por Helicobacter/microbiologia , Helicobacter pylori , Humanos , RNA Ribossômico 16S/genética

RESUMO

Dung beetles are holometabolous insects that feed on herbivorous mammal dung and provide services to the ecosystem including nutrient cycling and soil fertilization. It has been suggested that organisms developing on incomplete diets such as dungs require the association with microorganisms for the synthesis and utilization of nutrients. We describe the diversity and composition of the gut-microbiota during the life cycle of the dung beetle Copris incertus using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We found that C. incertus gut contained a broad diversity of bacterial groups (1,699 OTUs and 302 genera). The taxonomic composition varied during the beetle life cycle, with the predominance of some bacterial genera in a specific developmental stage (Mothers: Enterobacter and Serratia; Eggs: Nocardioides and Hydrogenophaga; Larval and pupal stages: Dysgonomonas and Parabacteroides; offspring: Ochrobactrum). The beta diversity evidenced similarities among developmental stages, clustering (i) the adult stages (mother, male and female offsprings), (ii) intermediate developmental (larvae and pupa), and (iii) initial stage (egg). Microbiota differences could be attributed to dietary specialization or/and morpho-physiological factors involved in the transition from a developmental stage to the next. The predicted functional profile (PICRUSt2 analysis) for the development bacterial core of the level 3 categories, indicated grouping by developmental stage. Only 36 categories were significant in the SIMPER analysis, including the metabolic categories of amino acids and antibiotic synthesis, which were enriched in the larval and pupal stages; both categories are involved in the metamorphosis process. At the gene level, we found significant differences only in the KOs encoding functions related to nitrogen fixation, uric acid metabolism, and plant cell wall degradation for all developmental stages. Nitrogen fixation and plant cell wall degradation were enriched in the intermediate stages and uric acid metabolism was enriched in mothers. The data reported here suggested the influence of the maternal microbiota in the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota of the offspring.