We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Host, its microbiota and their interactions
AI summary Read the abstract
This thesis reviews the interactions between multicellular hosts and their associated microbial communities, examining how environmental pollutants including microplastics can alter the composition and function of host microbiota. The work connects emerging knowledge about plastic pollution with gut and environmental microbiome research.
The development of sequencing technologies has advanced the field of host-associated microbiology by showing the huge diversity and functionality of the omnipresent microbes of all multicellular life. With these advances, new interesting questions have been raised with regards to microbial community composition, pollutants that can interact with the host microbial community, the factors that can affect the host microbial community and the processes that determine the enormous variety of the microbiota among hosts of the same species or genotype. However, conceptual disagreement regarding the ecology, genetics and evolutionary concepts regulating microbial diversity are frequently occurring in this field. Concepts such as symbiont, holobiont, and hologenome are generating discordances in the scientific community regarding microbial host associations and microbial communities. Then it is important to take into account the definitions and clarify the bases of these concepts: the holobiont refers to the host and their symbiotic microbes. Therefore, the hologenome are the genes of host plus the genes of their symbionts. However, the symbiont definition is wide open and when we use it at the holobiont level it can be misinterpreted as all microbes in a host. To separate symbionts from non-symbionts, it is necessary to search at the functional level for the emergence or enhancement of traits at the holobiont level. For that reason, not all of the microbiota are symbionts and, therefore the holobiont should only include the host and all the microbial symbionts that inhabit it. Consequently, host-associated microbes are part of the amalgam in the complex organisation of an organism and can also be explained by ecological associations. Understanding these complex interactions between host and its microbiota can, for instance, give us insight into how this community can influence the host’s regulatation of pollutants as stress factors. More important, to understand synergistic effects of pollutants such as microplastics and metals on the host and their microorganisms, constitute one of the new frontiers in toxicology. Finally, it is important to take into account how stress factors such as competition, environmental changes, pollution, and diet can influence the fitness, genome dynamics and diversification between organisms.
More Papers Like This
The effects of exposure to microplastics and pollutants on the arthropod microbiome
AI summary Read the abstract
This thesis investigated how microplastics and other pollutants (pesticides, detergents, metals) affect the gut microbiome of freshwater invertebrates. Disruption of the host-microbiome relationship by microplastics could impair immune function and overall health in aquatic organisms that form important parts of the food web.
Microplastics and their interactions with microbiota
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines how microplastics interact with microbiota (the communities of microorganisms in the environment and in living bodies). Microplastics can carry harmful bacteria and disrupt the natural balance of microbial communities in soil, water, and the human gut. The disruption of gut microbiota by microplastics is particularly concerning because a healthy gut microbiome is essential for immune function, digestion, and overall health.
Microplastics—The Microbiota Interactions: Mechanisms, Multi-Omics Insights and Health Implications
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers reviewed how microplastics interact with microbial communities across terrestrial, aquatic, and gut environments, synthesizing evidence from in vitro, in vivo, and environmental studies showing that MP exposure drives dysbiosis, impairs immune function, and accelerates the spread of antibiotic resistance genes.
Interaction between microplastics and microorganism as well as gut microbiota: A consideration on environmental animal and human health
AI summary Read the abstract
This review explores how microplastics interact with microorganisms in the environment and within the gut, examining implications for both animal and human health. Researchers found that microplastics can alter gut microbiota composition, promote the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and amplify the toxicity of other environmental pollutants. The study suggests that the interaction between microplastics and gut microorganisms is an important emerging area for understanding health risks.
Effects of Environmental Exposure on Host and Microbial Metabolism
AI summary Read the abstract
This collection of studies investigates how environmental exposures, including microplastics, PFAS, and other emerging pollutants, disrupt the gut microbiota and alter host metabolism. The research covers a wide spectrum of contaminants and examines how they affect the trillions of microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract that play essential roles in human health. The findings suggest that environmental pollutants can drive metabolic changes by disrupting the balance between gut microbes and their human hosts.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.