Human Microbiota And Microbiome Flashcards
What 4 microbial ancestry genes do we contain
Bacterial
Eukaryotic microbes
Viral dna
Retroviral dna
Give an example of a gene we got from viruses
Rna polymerase
Give an example of a retroviral gene we have
ENV genes which are expressed in placenta and cause syncytiotrophoblast fusion = foetus being born depends on it
Which 6 areas do we have mucosal surfaces
Nose
Mouth
Lungs
Stomach
Colon
Sex organs
What are symbions
Species associated together
What is it called when symbionts need each other (codependent)
Mutualism
What is commensalism
When 1 symbiont needs the other but other doesn’t need it
What is parasitism
When 1 symbiont needs the other and harms the other
What are supraorganisms
Human and microbial interactions for eachothers benefit
What are eubiotic and dysbiotic organisms
Eubiotic = microbes associated with health (eubiosis)
Dysbiotic = microbes associated with disease (dysbiosis)
Which 2 factors can affect whether microbes become dysbiotic
Hosts genome
Or
Environment factors such as diet or disease can affect interaction of microbes
Why is change in eubiotic microbes a form of evolution
They adapt to the environment / host gene which is evolution
What 3 ways can bacteria become dysbiotic
1- loss of mutualism
2- loss of diversity OR too increased diversity
3- new pathobionts form (mutualistic or commensalistic bacteria which have pathogenic ability)
Name 5 ways intestinal microbiota are important
1- detoxification eg of xenobiotics
2- bio synthetic forming vitamins like K
3- immune function
4- metabolic function for energy or immunity
5- protection from pathogens
What immune functions can microbiota have
Can induce T cells and increase IgA production
Which gene is usually compared when studying microbiota
16s rRNA
What is metagenomics
Sequencing entire microbial population in an area to detect many genes through PCR amplifying
What is community sampling approach in meta genomics
Single gene PCR amplifier in the community eg of 16s rRNA
What is environment approach in metagenomics
Dna cleaved by endonucleases and then sequenced
The dna is assembled and can see total gene pool of the community eg in colon
Can discover new genes
What is metatranscriptomics
Analysis of rna of viruses when present in a body
Which 2 other things is metagenomics paired with
Proteomics : studying proteins present
Metabolomics: what metabolites present
What is the purpose of metagenomics of communities
You can find the genes they contain and then the function of them
How are intestinal microbiota important metabolically
They contain CAZymes which metabolise carbs into Short fatty acid chains (SFAC)
Sfca are used for energy aswell as immunity
What do cazymes in intestinal bacteria target
Glycans from plant cell wall which are usually ingestible to us
Why can intestinal microbiota fluctuate in different areas of the world for the metabolic function
Because other areas eat different carbs so need different enzymes than cazymes
When does diversity of microbiota start to increase
After birth due to eating solids which need to be degraded by bacteria (cazymes)
When can bacteria composition change
In diseases like crohns,IBS, IBS
Why do things such as SCFA production decrease when bacteria become dysbiotic
Because there are less beneficial bacteria which are metabolic
When can metabolic composition of microbiota change
Change in diet
How can antibiotics be causing a change in bacteria and give an example
It targets specific / good microbiota (eubiotic) and then this allows new bacteria to thrive
Eg C. difficile infection in the gut which can be toxic (pathobionts)
What is FMT and what is it’s function
Faecal microbiota transplant
It can be used to fight off infections like C. difficile
Which eubiotic bacteria are in the vagina usually which can fight off hiv and inflammation
Lactobacillus
