The composite human microbiome of Western populations has likely changed over the past century, brought on by new environmental triggers that often have a negative impact on human health 1 . Here we show that consumption of a diet high in saturated (milk derived)-fat (MF), but not polyunsaturated (safflower oil)-fat (PUFA), changes the conditions for microbial assemblage and promotes expansion of a low abundance, sulfite-reducing pathobiont, Bilophila wadsworthia 2 . This was associated with a pro-inflammatory T H 1 immune response and increased incidence of colitis in genetically susceptible IL-10 −/− , but not wild type mice. These effects are mediated by MF-promoted taurine-conjugation of hepatic bile acids, which increases the availability of organic sulfur used by sulfite-reducing microbes like B. wadsworthia . When mice were fed a low-fat (LF) diet supplemented with taurocholic, but not with glycocholic acid, for example, a bloom of B. wadsworthia and development of colitis were observed in IL10 −/− mice. Together these data show that dietary fats, by promoting changes in host bile acid composition, can dramatically alter conditions for gut microbial assemblage, resulting in dysbiosis that can perturb immune homeostasis. The data provide a plausible mechanistic basis by which Western type diets high in certain saturated fats might increase the prevalence of complex immune-mediated diseases like inflammatory bowel diseases in genetically susceptible hosts.

SUMMARY Circadian clocks and metabolism are inextricably intertwined, where central and hepatic circadian clocks coordinate metabolic events in response to light-dark and sleep-wake cycles. We reveal an additional key element involved in maintaining host circadian rhythms, the gut microbiome. Despite persistence of light-dark signals, germ-free mice fed low or high fat diets exhibit markedly impaired central and hepatic circadian clock gene expression and do not gain weight compared to conventionally-raised counterparts. Examination of gut microbiota in conventionally-raised mice showed differential diurnal variation in microbial structure and function dependent upon dietary composition. Additionally, specific microbial metabolites induced under low or high fat feeding, particularly short chain fatty acids, but not hydrogen sulfide, directly modulate circadian clock gene expression within hepatocytes. These results underscore the ability of microbially-derived metabolites to regulate or modify central and hepatic circadian rhythm and host metabolic function, the latter following intake of a Westernized diet.

Neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is an inflammatory intestinal disorder affecting preterm infants. Intestinal bacteria play a key role; however no causative pathogen has been identified. The purpose of this study was to determine if there are differences in microbial patterns which may be critical to the development of this disease. Fecal samples from twenty preterm infants, ten with NEC and ten matched controls (including four twin pairs) were obtained from patients in a single site Level III neonatal intensive care unit. Bacterial DNA from individual fecal samples were PCR amplified and subjected to terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and library sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to characterize diversity and structure of the enteric microbiota. The distribution of samples from NEC patients distinctly clustered separately from controls. Intestinal bacterial colonization in all preterm infants was notable for low diversity. Patients with NEC had even less diversity, an increase in abundance of Gammaproteobacteria, a decrease in other bacteria species, and had received a higher mean number of previous days of antibiotics. Our results suggest that NEC is associated with severe lack of microbiota diversity which may accentuate the impact of single dominant microorganisms favored by empiric and wide-spread use of antibiotics.

BackgroundDiet-induced obesity (DIO) is a significant health concern which has been linked to structural and functional changes in the gut microbiota. Exercise (Ex) is effective in preventing obesity, but whether Ex alters the gut microbiota during development with high fat (HF) feeding is unknown.ObjectiveDetermine the effects of voluntary Ex on the gastrointestinal microbiota in LF-fed mice and in HF-DIO.MethodsMale C57BL/6 littermates (5 weeks) were distributed equally into 4 groups: low fat (LF) sedentary (Sed) LF/Sed, LF/Ex, HF/Sed and HF/Ex. Mice were individually housed and LF/Ex and HF/Ex cages were equipped with a wheel and odometer to record Ex. Fecal samples were collected at baseline, 6 weeks and 12 weeks and used for bacterial DNA isolation. DNA was subjected both to quantitative PCR using primers specific to the 16S rRNA encoding genes for Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes and to sequencing for lower taxonomic identification using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Data were analyzed using a one or two-way ANOVA or Pearson correlation.ResultsHF diet resulted in significantly greater body weight and adiposity as well as decreased glucose tolerance that were prevented by voluntary Ex (p<0.05). Visualization of Unifrac distance data with principal coordinates analysis indicated clustering by both diet and Ex at week 12. Sequencing demonstrated Ex-induced changes in the percentage of major bacterial phyla at 12 weeks. A correlation between total Ex distance and the ΔCt Bacteroidetes: ΔCt Firmicutes ratio from qPCR demonstrated a significant inverse correlation (r2 = 0.35, p = 0.043).ConclusionEx induces a unique shift in the gut microbiota that is different from dietary effects. Microbiota changes may play a role in Ex prevention of HF-DIO.

This work investigates the early stages of precipitation of calcium sulfate from aqueous solution at room temperature and shows for the first time that amorphous calcium sulfate (ACS) and calcium sulfate hemihydrate are sequentially precipitated prior to calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum).