Microbiota: From the Environment to Humans, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Microbiomes".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2025 | Viewed by 6349

Special Issue Editor

Dipartimento per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile e la Transizione Ecologica, Università del Piemonte Orientale, 13100 Vercelli, Italy
Interests: soil microbiome; gut microbiome; metaproteome; holobiont
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Microbiota (referring to Bacteria, Archaea, Fungi, and viruses) are defined as the whole microbial communities associated with humans, animals, and plants, where each individual and its microbiota generate a holobiont. The homeostasis of the holobiont depends upon the host modulation of the microbiota populating the diverse surfaces and tissues. Most members of these microbial communities are not restricted to their holobionts and can be found in the microbiota of terrestrial and marine environments and in foods. The interaction between the host and its associated microbiota is so intimate as to determine its state of health or disease. Furthermore, the outcome of this dynamic balance is continuously influenced by the surrounding environment.

Microbiomes are the genomes associated with these microbial communities, and the metaproteome is the whole proteome expressed by these genomes. Thanks to the “omic” technologies, it is now possible to investigate both the genetic traits and the biological functions expressed by these complex microbial systems. Although the relationship between the host’s characteristics and its associated microbial communities has been extensively studied, the effects of one on the other are largely unknown.

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide an overview of the significance of microbial community fluxes from natural and built environments to humans, microbial community fluxes across foods, the effects of microbiota on host biology, and the integrated functions operating inside the holobiont.

Dr. Elisa Bona
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • microbial community
  • holobiont
  • environment
  • food
  • metagenome
  • metaproteome

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 2454 KiB  
Article
Unveiling the Probiotic Potential of Streptococcus thermophilus MCC0200: Insights from In Vitro Studies Corroborated with Genome Analysis
by Neelam Kapse, Vaidehi Pisu, Tanisha Dhakephalkar, Prajakta Margale, Deepa Shetty, Shilpa Wagh, Sumit Dagar and Prashant K. Dhakephalkar
Microorganisms 2024, 12(2), 347; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12020347 - 7 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2939
Abstract
Streptococcus thermophilus is widely used as a starter culture in the dairy industry and has garnered attention as a beneficial bacterium owing to its health-promoting functionalities in humans. In this study, the probiotic potential of S. thermophilus MCC0200 isolated from a dairy product [...] Read more.
Streptococcus thermophilus is widely used as a starter culture in the dairy industry and has garnered attention as a beneficial bacterium owing to its health-promoting functionalities in humans. In this study, the probiotic potential of S. thermophilus MCC0200 isolated from a dairy product was investigated through a combinatorial approach of in vitro and in silico studies. MCC0200 demonstrated the ability to survive harsh gastrointestinal (GI) transit, adhere to intestinal mucosa and exert health-promoting traits in in vitro studies. These findings were corroborated with in silico evidence, wherein, MCC0200 genome harboured genes associated with tolerance to GI conditions, intestinal adhesion and colonization. Genome mapping also highlighted the ability of MCC0200 to produce compounds advantageous for the host (folate, bacteriocins), to release antioxidant enzymes that can quench the free radicals (superoxide dismutase, NADH peroxidase), and to metabolize food components that can be harmful to sensitive people (lactose). MCC0200 also demonstrated a positive effect on reducing cholesterol levels, proving to be a potential candidate for food and pharmaceutical applications. The absence of transmissible antibiotic resistance genes and virulence genes underscored the generally regarded as safe (GRAS) nature of MCC0200. This study explored the potential of Streptococcus thermophilus for its probable applications as a probiotic beyond the dairy industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbiota: From the Environment to Humans, 2nd Edition)
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20 pages, 2810 KiB  
Article
The Impact of a Commercial Biostimulant on the Grape Mycobiota of Vitis vinifera cv. Barbera
by Laura Pulcini, Elisa Bona, Enrico Tommaso Vaudano, Christos Tsolakis, Emilia Garcia-Moruno, Antonella Costantini and Elisa Gamalero
Microorganisms 2023, 11(8), 1873; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11081873 - 25 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1321
Abstract
Reducing the use of fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides in order to limit environmental pollution and health risks for agricultural operators and consumers is one of the goals of European regulations. In fact, the European Commission developed a package of measures (the European Green [...] Read more.
Reducing the use of fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides in order to limit environmental pollution and health risks for agricultural operators and consumers is one of the goals of European regulations. In fact, the European Commission developed a package of measures (the European Green Deal) to promote the sustainable use of natural resources and strengthen the resilience of European agri-food systems. As a consequence, new plant protection products, such as biostimulants, have been proposed as alternatives to agrochemicals. Their application in agroecosystems could potentially open new scenarios regarding the microbiota. In particular, the vineyard microbiota and the microbiota on the grape surface can be affected by biostimulants and lead to different wine features. The aim of this work was to assess the occurrence of a possible variation in the mycobiota due to the biostimulant application. Therefore, our attention has been focused on the yeast community of grape bunches from vines subjected to the phytostimulant BION®50WG treatment. This work was carried out in the CREA-VE experimental vineyard of Vitis vinifera cv. Barbera in Asti (Piedmont, Italy). The composition of fungal communities on grapes from three experimental conditions such as IPM (integrated pest management), IPM+BION®50WG, and IPM+water foliar nebulization was compared by a metabarcoding approach. Our results revealed the magnitude of alpha and beta diversity, and the microbial biodiversity index and specific fungal signatures were highlighted by comparing the abundance of yeast and filamentous fungi in IPM and BION®50WG treatments. No significant differences in the mycobiota of grapevines subjected to the three treatments were detected. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbiota: From the Environment to Humans, 2nd Edition)
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Review

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16 pages, 1120 KiB  
Review
Parasites and Microbiota: Dual Interactions and Therapeutic Perspectives
by Hayat S. Al-Rashidi and Eman S. El-Wakil
Microorganisms 2024, 12(10), 2076; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12102076 - 16 Oct 2024
Viewed by 813
Abstract
The human gut hosts a diverse and active community of bacteria that symbiotically support the physiology, metabolism, and immunity of the intestinal lining. Nevertheless, a dynamic community of parasites (helminths and protozoa) may share a habitat with gut-dwelling microbiota. Both microbiota and parasites [...] Read more.
The human gut hosts a diverse and active community of bacteria that symbiotically support the physiology, metabolism, and immunity of the intestinal lining. Nevertheless, a dynamic community of parasites (helminths and protozoa) may share a habitat with gut-dwelling microbiota. Both microbiota and parasites can significantly change the physical and immunological environment of the gut, thus generating several mechanisms of interaction. Studying this field is crucial for understanding the pathogenesis of parasitic diseases. Additionally, intestinal microbiota and gut-dwelling parasites may interact with each other and with the host immunity to alleviate or exacerbate the disease. These interactions can alter the pathogenicity of both parasites and microbiota, thereby changing the infection outcomes and the overall disease profile. Parasites and microbiota interactions occur via several mechanisms, including physical alteration in both the gastrointestinal microenvironment and the adaptive and innate immune responses. By modulating the microbiota, treating parasitic infections and microbiota dysbiosis may be improved through knowing the mechanisms and consequences of the interactions between intestinal parasites and the microbiota. Thus, new biological tools of treatment including probiotics can be introduced, particularly with the emergence of drug resistance and adverse effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbiota: From the Environment to Humans, 2nd Edition)
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