Oral microbial profiles in young adults with cannabis use disorder.

Background: With increasing legalization and rising potency of cannabis products, cannabis use disorder (CUD) is a growing public health concern, particularly among young adults, who have the highest rates of CUD. While substance use is known to be associated with the oral microbiome, the impact of CUD remains understudied. Given the oral microbiome's role in overall health, identifying microbial signatures associated with CUD, relative to other substance use disorders (SUDs), may provide insight into its biological mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets.

Breaking down barriers: is intestinal mucus degradation by beneficial or harmful?

is a specialized mucin-degrading bacterium that plays a pivotal role in gut health and disease. This review examines the dualistic nature of mucin degradation, exploring its potential benefits and risks. As a mucin specialist, uses glycosyl hydrolases and mucinases to degrade mucins, producing metabolites like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs), succinate, and other compounds.

Preliminary associations between brain metabolites and oral microbiome profiles during adolescence.

Adolescence is a period of significant transformation, including changes in brain chemistry and the microbiome. While gut microbiome-brain connections are well studied, the relationship between the oral microbiome and brain function remains underexplored, despite growing evidence of its relevance to human health-particularly during this developmental period. This study investigates associations between the oral microbiome and neurometabolites in adolescents aged 17-19 (N = 39; 49% female) using 16S rRNA sequencing and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

The Molecular Motor Myosin 5B and Its Folding Chaperone UNC45A Are Decreased in Colorectal Cancer.

Background & Aims: Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks among the most common and deadliest cancers worldwide. Previous studies have found that the molecular motor Mysoin 5b (MYO5B) is decreased at the level of mRNA in CRC, but the mechanism behind this reduction remains unknown. In normal cells, MYO5B function is contingent on proper folding by the chaperone protein unc-45 myosin chaperone A (UNC45A).

Profiling the response of individual gut microbes to free fatty acids (FFAs) found in human milk.

Preterm infants have an immature intestinal environment featuring microbial dysbiosis. Human milk can improve the composition of the neonatal gut microbiome by supporting commensal species. Milk free fatty acids (FFAs) provide nutritional energy, participate in endogenous signaling, and exert antimicrobial effects.

Bacterial metabolites influence the autofluorescence of .

is a bacterial pathogen that has been implicated in severe gastrointestinal infections. has intrinsic green autofluorescence and the level of this autofluorescence is known to be increased by growth time and oxygen. Currently, it is unclear if dietary compounds or metabolites from the gut microbiota are able to enhance autofluorescence.

Subcellular expression of CYP2E1 in HepG2 cells impacts response to free oleic and palmitic acid.

Aims: Cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) is a mammalian monooxygenase expressed at high levels in the liver that metabolizes low molecular weight pollutants and drugs, as well as endogenous fatty acids and ketones. Although CYP2E1 has been mainly studied in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER, microsomal fraction), it also localizes in significant amounts to the mitochondria, where it has been far less studied. We investigated the effects of CYP2E1 expression in mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, or both organelles in transgenic HepG2 cells exposed to free oleic and palmitic acid, including effects on cytotoxicity, lipid storage, respiration, and gene expression.

Myosin Vb Traffics P-Glycoprotein to the Apical Membrane of Intestinal Epithelial Cells.

Background & Aims: The xenobiotic efflux pump P-glycoprotein is highly expressed on the apical membrane of the gastrointestinal tract, where it regulates the levels of intracellular substrates. P-glycoprotein is altered in disease, but the mechanisms that regulate the levels of P-glycoprotein are still being explored. The molecular motor myosin Vb (Myo5b) traffics diverse cargo to the apical membrane of intestinal epithelial cells.

Analyzing the Responses of Enteric Bacteria to Neonatal Intensive Care Supplements.

In the neonatal intensive care unit, adequate nutrition requires various enteral products, including human milk and formula. Human milk is typically fortified to meet increased calorie goals, and infants commonly receive vitamin mixes, iron supplements, and less frequently, thickening agents. We examined the growth of 16 commensal microbes and 10 pathobionts found in the premature infant gut and found that formula, freshly pasteurized milk, and donated banked milk generally increased bacterial growth.

Phylogenetically diverse bacterial species produce histamine.

Histamine is an important biogenic amine known to impact a variety of patho-physiological processes ranging from allergic reactions, gut-mediated anti-inflammatory responses, and neurotransmitter activity. Histamine is found both endogenously within specialized host cells and exogenously in microbes. Exogenous histamine is produced through the decarboxylation of the amino acid L-histidine by bacterial-derived histidine decarboxylase enzymes.

Characterizing arginine, ornithine, and putrescine pathways in enteric pathobionts.

Arginine-ornithine metabolism plays a crucial role in bacterial homeostasis, as evidenced by numerous studies. However, the utilization of arginine and the downstream products of its metabolism remain undefined in various gut bacteria. To bridge this knowledge gap, we employed genomic screening to pinpoint relevant metabolic targets.

and the intestinal mucus layer.

species are integral members of the human gut microbiota and these microbes have significant interactions with the intestinal mucus layer. This review delves into -mucus dynamics, shedding light on the multifaceted nature of this relationship. We cover conserved features of -mucus interactions, such as mucus adhesion and positive regulation of goblet cell and mucus production, as well as species and strain-specific attributes of mucus degradation.

Repurposing dried blood spot device technology to examine bile acid profiles in human dried fecal spot samples.

Dried blood spot (DBS) analysis has existed for >50 years, but application of this technique to fecal analysis remains limited. To address whether dried fecal spots (DFS) could be used to measure fecal bile acids, we collected feces from five subjects for each of the following cohorts: ) healthy individuals, ) individuals with diarrhea, and ) infected patients. Homogenized fecal extracts were loaded onto quantitative DBS (qDBS) devices, dried overnight, and shipped to the bioanalytical lab at ambient temperature.

A high-throughput protocol for measuring solution pH of bacterial cultures using UV-Vis absorption spectrophotometry.

We present a protocol for measuring the pH of cell-free bacterial-conditioned media based on changes in the ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorbance spectrum using the pH indicator dye litmus. This protocol includes detailed procedures for performing bacterial culturing, examining bacterial growth, collecting cell-free supernatant, litmus dye addition, and pH-based calibration curve preparations. This assay has been designed for flexible formatting that can accommodate both high-volume and low-volume sample sets.

Identification of Differentiated Intestinal Epithelial Cells Using Immunostaining and Fluorescence Microscopy.

Immunofluorescence imaging enables visualization of a wide range of molecules in diverse cells and tissues. Determining the localization and endogenous protein levels in cells using immunostaining can be highly informative for researchers studying cell structure and function. The small intestinal epithelium is composed of numerous cell types including absorptive enterocytes, mucus-producing goblet cells, lysozyme positive Paneth cells, proliferative stem cells, chemosensing tuft cells, and hormone-producing enteroendocrine cells.

Bioinformatics reveal elevated levels of Myosin Vb in uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma patients which correlates to increased cell metabolism and poor prognosis.

Carcinoma of the endometrium of the uterus is the most common female pelvic malignancy. Although uterine corpus endometrial cancer (UCEC) has a favorable prognosis if removed early, patients with advanced tumor stages have a low survival rate. These facts highlight the importance of understanding UCEC biology.

Interrogation of the mammalian gut-brain axis using LC-MS/MS-based targeted metabolomics with in vitro bacterial and organoid cultures and in vivo gnotobiotic mouse models.

Interest in the communication between the gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system, known as the gut-brain axis, has prompted the development of quantitative analytical platforms to analyze microbe- and host-derived signals. This protocol enables investigations into connections between microbial colonization and intestinal and brain neurotransmitters and contains strategies for the comprehensive evaluation of metabolites in in vitro (organoids) and in vivo mouse model systems. Here we present an optimized workflow that includes procedures for preparing these gut-brain axis model systems: (stage 1) growth of microbes in defined media; (stage 2) microinjection of intestinal organoids; and (stage 3) generation of animal models including germ-free (no microbes), specific-pathogen-free (complete gut microbiota) and specific-pathogen-free re-conventionalized (germ-free mice associated with a complete gut microbiota from a specific-pathogen-free mouse), and Bifidobacterium dentium and Bacteroides ovatus mono-associated mice (germ-free mice colonized with a single gut microbe).

Serum 3-phenyllactic acid level is reduced in benign multiple sclerosis and is associated with effector B cell ratios.

Background: 3-phenyllactic acid (PLA) is produced by both intestinal bacteria and the human host. PLA exists in its D- and L- chiral forms. It modulates human immune functions, thereby acting as a mediator of bacterial-host interactions.

Profiling Antibiotic Resistance in .

Background: Acinetobacter spp. have emerged as troublesome pathogens due to their multi-drug resistance. The majority of the work to date has focused on the antibiotic resistance profile of Acinetobacter baumannii.

Myosins and membrane trafficking in intestinal brush border assembly.

Myosins are a class of motors that participate in a wide variety of cellular functions including organelle transport, cell adhesion, endocytosis and exocytosis, movement of RNA, and cell motility. Among the emerging roles for myosins is regulation of the assembly, morphology, and function of actin protrusions such as microvilli. The intestine harbors an elaborate apical membrane composed of highly organized microvilli.

is Well Adapted to Withstand Intestinal Stressors and Modulate the Gut Epithelium.

The gastrointestinal tract has been speculated to serve as a reservoir for , however little is known about the ecological fitness of strains in the gut. Likewise, not much is known about the ability of to consume dietary, or host derived nutrients or their capacity to modulate host gene expression. Given the increasing prevalence of in the clinical setting, we sought to characterize how responds to gut-related stressors and identify potential microbe-host interactions.