Exam "4": Microbial Symbiosis with Humans, Epidemiology, Person-to-Person Diseases, Vector-Borne Diseases, Food- and Water-Borne Diseases, and Eukaryotic Pathogens (Bio 286- Microbiology) Flashcards
(214 cards)
microbiome
functional collection of different microbes in a particular system
microbiota
all microbes in a microhabitat
host microbiome supraorganism
a body and all of its associated microbiota
relationship between humans and their microbiota
commensalistic
overview of human microbiome
approximately 4x10^13 MICROBES IN A HUMAN MICROBIOME and only about 3x10^13 HUMAN CELLS
most of the human microbiota is located in the
colon
gastrointestinal microbiota
humans are monogastric and omnivorous… colonization of gut begins at birth… consists of stomach, small intestine, and large intestine… comprises 400 m^2 of surface area… responsible for digestion of food, absorption of nutrients, and production of nutrients by indigenous microbial flora… contains 10^13 to 10^14 microbial cells
stomach and small intestine
microbial populations in different areas of GI tract are influenced by diet and physical conditions in area… acidity of stomach and duodenum of small intestine (~pH 2) prevent many organisms from colonizing GI tract, but there is a rich microbiome in healthy stomach… FIRMICUTES, BACTERIODETES, and Actinobacteria are common in gastric fluid, while Firmicutes and PROTEOBACTERIA are common in mucus layer in stomach… HELICOBACTER PYLORI was discovered in 1980s and has since been found in ~50% of world’s population– when present, it is found in gastric mucosa
common bacterial phyla of gut
FIRMICUTES, BACTERIODES, and PROTEOBACTERIA
Helicobacter pylori are found in the
STOMACH
large intestine
intestinal microorganisms carry out a variety of essential metabolic reactions that produce various compounds… colon is essentially an in vitro fermentation vessel, with the microbiota using nutrients derived from digestion of food… most organisms are restricted to lumen of large intestine, while others are in mucosal layers
gut enterotypes
each type is functionally and phylogenetically distinct… three types: 1. enriched in Bacteriodes… 2. enriched in Prevotella… 3. enriched in Ruminococcus
gastrointestinal microbiota roles
products of intestinal microbiota and “educating” the immune system… many microbial metabolites or transformation products that can be generated in gut have significant influence on host physiology (vitamin production, modification of steroids, or amino acid biosynthesis)
human gut microbiome functions
production of essential amino acids and vitamins… maturation of gastrointestinal tract… production of volatile fatty acids from polysaccharides
increased methane production in gut leads to
elevated volatile fatty acid production
oral cavity
is a complex/heterogeneous microbial habitat… saliva contains antimicrobial enzymes… high concentrations of nutrients near surfaces in mouth promote localized microbial growth… tooth consists of a mineral matrix (enamel) surrounding living tissue, the dentin, and pulp
airways
microbes thrive in upper respiratory tract (sinuses, nasopharynx, oropharynx, oral cavity, larynx)… bacteria continually enter respiratory tract from air during breathing– most are trapped in mucus of nasal and oral passages and expelled with nasal secretions or swallowed and then killed in stomach… the lower respiratory tract (trachea, bronchi, lungs) has no normal microbiota in healthy adults– ciliated mucosal cells move particles up and out of lungs
microorganism most associated with dental cavities
streptococci
urogenital tracts and their microbes
altered conditions can cause potential pathogens in urethra (such as Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis) to multiply and cause disease– E.coli and P.mirabilis frequently cause urinary tract infections in women…. fungal overgrowth (candida albicans) possible… the vagina is weakly acidic and contains significant amounts of glycogen… Lactobacillus acidophilus (resident organism of vagina) ferments the glycogen to produce lactic acid (lactic acid maintains a local acidic environment)…. vaginitis commonly results from overgrowth of Candida and Trichomonas vaginalis
most numerous bacteria on skin
actinobacteria
skin and its microbes
there are approximately 1 million resident bacteria per square centimeter of skin for a total of 10^10 skin microorganisms covering average adult… skin surface varies greatly in chemical composition and moisture content… three microenvironments: dry, moist, and sebaceous… composition is influenced by: environmental factors and host factors… each microenvironment shows an unique microbiota
human microbiome study groups
have formed most of our understanding of the functions of human microbiome… human microbiome project (HMP) surveyed hundred of medical students over several years to determine a baseline for healthy human microbiomes…later projects showed the weakness in this model, as they revealed more diversity in non-US born subjects and lacked data on diet or other lifestyle attributes
animal models
while there are significant differences between mice and humans, mice have been used to good effect to study human gut microbiome interactions… mice have a larger colon and cecum than humans… most fermentation is completed in the mouse cecum rather than the human large intestine… mice models: have a short life cycle and well-defined genetic lines, can be raised in a germ-free environment, can have antibiotic therapy, strict dietary control, fecal transplants
colonization and succession
COLONIZATION BEGINS AT BIRTH WITH TRANSFER FROM MOTHER TO INFANT– early colonizing microbes are a source of vitamins and tend to be facultative rather than obligate anaerobes… variables determine the nature of the gut microbiome– vaginally born infants have a microbiome more similar to that of their mothers than those born via c-section (infants born via C-section have less Bacteriodes than vagina babies); breastfed infants have more commensal bacteria as breast milk has oligosaccharides that promote their colonization