Janina Krumbeck, PhD

Previous studies have suggested the involvement of viral and bacterial components in the initiation and progression of feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS), but the role of fungi remains entirely unknown. This pilot study aimed to investigate the bacteriome and mycobiome in feline oral health and disease. Physical exams, including oral health assessment, of privately owned, clinically healthy (CH) cats (n = 14) and cats affected by FCGS (n = 14) were performed. Using a sterile swab, oral… 展开

Previous studies have suggested the involvement of viral and bacterial components in the initiation and progression of feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS), but the role of fungi remains entirely unknown. This pilot study aimed to investigate the bacteriome and mycobiome in feline oral health and disease. Physical exams, including oral health assessment, of privately owned, clinically healthy (CH) cats (n = 14) and cats affected by FCGS (n = 14) were performed. Using a sterile swab, oral tissue surfaces of CH and FCGS cats were sampled and submitted for 16S rRNA and ITS-2 next-generation DNA sequencing. A high number of fungal species (n = 186) was detected, with Malassezia restricta, Malassezia arunalokei, Cladosporium penidielloides/salinae, and Aspergillaceae sp. being significantly enriched in FCGS samples, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae in CH samples. The bacteriome was significantly distinct between groups, and significant inter-kingdom interactions were documented. Bergeyella zoohelcum was identified as a potential biomarker of a healthy feline oral microbiome. These data suggest that fungi might play a role in the etiology and pathogenesis of FCGS, and that oral health should not simply be regarded as the absence of microbial infections. Instead, it may be viewed as the biological interactions between bacterial and fungal populations that coexist to preserve a complex equilibrium in the microenvironment of the mouth. Additional investigations are needed to improve our understanding of the feline oral ecosystem and the potential interactions between viruses, bacteria, and fungi in FCGS. 收起

Abstract:
Background: Urine from clinically healthy dogs is not sterile. Characterizing microbial diversity and abundance within this population of dogs is important to define normal reference ranges for healthy urine.
Objectives: To establish composition and relative representation of bacterial and fun-gal microbiomes in urine of clinically healthy dogs.
Animals: Fifty clinically healthy dogs.
Methods: Analytic study. Urine sampling via cystocentesis. Comprehensive evaluation of… 展开

Abstract:
Background: Urine from clinically healthy dogs is not sterile. Characterizing microbial diversity and abundance within this population of dogs is important to define normal reference ranges for healthy urine.
Objectives: To establish composition and relative representation of bacterial and fun-gal microbiomes in urine of clinically healthy dogs.
Animals: Fifty clinically healthy dogs.
Methods: Analytic study. Urine sampling via cystocentesis. Comprehensive evaluation of urine including standard urinalysis, culture and sensitivity, next-generation sequencing (NGS), and bioinformatics to define bacterial and fungal microbiome.
Results: Culture did not yield positive results in any samples. Next-generation sequencing of urine established low presence of bacteria, fungi, or both in all samples. Diversity and abundance of bacterial and fungal communities varied between urine samples from different dogs. Struvite crystals were associated with bacterial community structure(P = .07) and there was a positive correlation between struvite crystals and pH. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: The microbiome in urine of clinically healthy dogs has diverse bacterial and fungal species These findings highlight limitations of conventional culture testing and the need for culture-independent molecular diagnostics to detect microorganisms in urine 收起

Highlights:
? Largest dog cohort to date analyzed for both the bacterial and fungal microbiota in healthy and diseased skin and ears.

? This study uniquely used relative and absolute microbial abundances determining a cutoff for microbial infectious overgrowth.

? Potential novel pathogens causing canine skin and ear infections can be discovered using the NGS-based approach as described.

? NGS-based analysis of infections is a novel diagnostic approach with the potential… 展开

Highlights:
? Largest dog cohort to date analyzed for both the bacterial and fungal microbiota in healthy and diseased skin and ears.

? This study uniquely used relative and absolute microbial abundances determining a cutoff for microbial infectious overgrowth.

? Potential novel pathogens causing canine skin and ear infections can be discovered using the NGS-based approach as described.

? NGS-based analysis of infections is a novel diagnostic approach with the potential to significantly reduce patient suffering.

? NGS-based analysis allows real-time microbiome monitoring and may reduce the use of unwarranted antibiotics for infections. 收起

Polyphenol intake has been associated with improved health outcomes, but the relation between polyphenol intake, gastrointestinal health, and systemic health outcomes is not fully known. Many polyphenols become bioavailable once transformed into metabolites by the gut microbial community. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that the intimate interaction between polyphenols and microbiota may influence both gastrointestinal and systemic health. The objective of the current study was to assess the… 展开

Polyphenol intake has been associated with improved health outcomes, but the relation between polyphenol intake, gastrointestinal health, and systemic health outcomes is not fully known. Many polyphenols become bioavailable once transformed into metabolites by the gut microbial community. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that the intimate interaction between polyphenols and microbiota may influence both gastrointestinal and systemic health. The objective of the current study was to assess the relation of daily polyphenol intake with intestinal permeability, microbiota profile, and fecal short-chain fatty acids in a sample of obese humans. 收起

Research on combining probiotics and prebiotics as synbiotics to enhance human and animal health has accelerated in the past ten years, including many clinical trials that have assessed a diverse range of synbiotic formulations. In this review, we summarize these studies as well as the commercial applications of synbiotics that are available. In particular, we critically assess the claimed health benefits of synbiotic applications and the ecological and therapeutic considerations when designing… 展开

Research on combining probiotics and prebiotics as synbiotics to enhance human and animal health has accelerated in the past ten years, including many clinical trials that have assessed a diverse range of synbiotic formulations. In this review, we summarize these studies as well as the commercial applications of synbiotics that are available. In particular, we critically assess the claimed health benefits of synbiotic applications and the ecological and therapeutic considerations when designing synbiotics and discuss the implications of these concept for future research in this field.

Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Food Science and Technology Volume 9 is March 26, 2018. Please see https://www.annualreviews.org/catalog/pubdates.aspx for revised estimates. 收起

This review describes recent research on how prebiotics and fermentable fibers can influence the gut
microbiota and result in improvements to human health.

DOI:10.1097/MOG.0000000000000249

Rodent-derived strains of Lactobacillus reuteri densely colonize the forestomach of mice and possess several genes whose predicted functions constitute adaptations towards an acidic environment. The objective of this study was to systematically determine which genes of L. reuteri 100-23 contribute to tolerance towards host gastric acid secretion. Genes predicted to be involved in acid resistance were inactivated, and their contribution to survival under acidic conditions was confirmed in model… 展开

Rodent-derived strains of Lactobacillus reuteri densely colonize the forestomach of mice and possess several genes whose predicted functions constitute adaptations towards an acidic environment. The objective of this study was to systematically determine which genes of L. reuteri 100-23 contribute to tolerance towards host gastric acid secretion. Genes predicted to be involved in acid resistance were inactivated, and their contribution to survival under acidic conditions was confirmed in model gastric juice. Fitness of five mutants that showed impaired in vitro acid resistance were then compared through competition experiments in ex-germ-free mice that were either treated with omeprazole, a proton-pump inhibitor that suppresses acid secretion in the stomach, or left untreated. This analysis revealed that the urease cluster was the predominant factor in mediating resistance to gastric acid production. Population levels of the mutant, which were substantially decreased in untreated mice, were almost completely restored through omeprazole, demonstrating that urease production in L. reuteri is mainly devoted to overcome gastric acid. The findings provide novel information on the mechanisms by which L. reuteri colonizes its gastric niche and demonstrate that in silico gene predictions and in vitro tests have limitations for predicting the ecological functions of colonization factors in bacterial symbionts. 收起

doi:10.1016/j.copbio.2015.09.001

The prebiotic concept was introduced twenty years ago, and despite several revisions to the original definition, the scientific community has continued to debate what it means to be a prebiotic. How prebiotics are defined is important not only for the scientific community, but also for regulatory agencies, the food industry, consumers and healthcare professionals. Recent developments in community-wide sequencing and glycomics have revealed that more… 展开

doi:10.1016/j.copbio.2015.09.001

The prebiotic concept was introduced twenty years ago, and despite several revisions to the original definition, the scientific community has continued to debate what it means to be a prebiotic. How prebiotics are defined is important not only for the scientific community, but also for regulatory agencies, the food industry, consumers and healthcare professionals. Recent developments in community-wide sequencing and glycomics have revealed that more complex interactions occur between putative prebiotic substrates and the gut microbiota than previously considered. A consensus among scientists on the most appropriate definition of a prebiotic is necessary to enable continued use of the term. 收起

One strategy for enhancing the establishment of probiotic bacteria in the human intestinal tract is via the parallel administration of a prebiotic, which is referred to as a synbiotic. Here we present a novel method that allows a rational selection of putative probiotic strains to be used in synbiotic applications: in vivo selection (IVS). This method consists of isolating candidate probiotic strains from fecal samples following enrichment with the respective prebiotic. To test the potential… 展开

One strategy for enhancing the establishment of probiotic bacteria in the human intestinal tract is via the parallel administration of a prebiotic, which is referred to as a synbiotic. Here we present a novel method that allows a rational selection of putative probiotic strains to be used in synbiotic applications: in vivo selection (IVS). This method consists of isolating candidate probiotic strains from fecal samples following enrichment with the respective prebiotic. To test the potential of IVS, we isolated bifidobacteria from human subjects who consumed increasing doses of galactooligosaccharides (GOS) for 9 weeks. A retrospective analysis of the fecal microbiota of one subject revealed an 8-fold enrichment in Bifidobacterium adolescentis strain IVS-1 during GOS
administration. The functionality of GOS to support the establishment of IVS-1 in the gastrointestinal tract was then evaluated in rats administered the bacterial strain alone, the prebiotic alone, or the synbiotic combination. Strain-specific quantitative real-time PCR showed that the addition of GOS increased B. adolescentis IVS-1 abundance in the distal intestine by nearly 2 logs
compared to rats receiving only the probiotic. Illumina 16S rRNA sequencing not only confirmed the increased establishment of IVS-1 in the intestine but also revealed that the strain was able to outcompete the resident Bifidobacterium population when provided with GOS. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that IVS can be used to successfully formulate a synergistic synbiotic that can substantially enhance the establishment and competitiveness of a putative probiotic strain in the gastrointestinal tract. 收起