Kim Kreuze
@kkreuze.bsky.social
PhD student studying Infant gut phages | Vatanen & Friman labs University of Helsinki | Viral dark matter | phage-host interactions | MGE competition | microbial ecology
I agree! I am no expert in marine virology but as I understand, the current thinking is that high phage predation in marine environments is a large driver of microbial diversity. I suspect something similar is happening in the infant but not adult gut. It will be exciting to find out 😀
November 14, 2024 at 8:04 AM
I agree! I am no expert in marine virology but as I understand, the current thinking is that high phage predation in marine environments is a large driver of microbial diversity. I suspect something similar is happening in the infant but not adult gut. It will be exciting to find out 😀
This is only one train of thought that we had while writing this perspective, so if you found this interesting, read it on mrr: www.oaepublish.com/articles/mrr...
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Mobile genetic elements: the hidden puppet masters underlying infant gut microbiome assembly?
The gut microbiota is important for healthy infant development. Part of the initial colonizing microbial strains originate from the maternal gut, and undergo a selective event, termed the “colonizatio...
www.oaepublish.com
November 13, 2024 at 11:22 AM
This is only one train of thought that we had while writing this perspective, so if you found this interesting, read it on mrr: www.oaepublish.com/articles/mrr...
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While all these ideas are very exciting, studying these elusive genetic elements can be challenging. Luckily, advances in methodology will make it possible to see if MGEs could really be the hidden puppet masters underlying infant gut microbiome assembly!
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November 13, 2024 at 11:22 AM
While all these ideas are very exciting, studying these elusive genetic elements can be challenging. Luckily, advances in methodology will make it possible to see if MGEs could really be the hidden puppet masters underlying infant gut microbiome assembly!
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BUT at the same time, MGEs do not like rivals inside the same bacteria and can encode defense systems that protects the bacteria. In this way even though MGEs can be like a double-edged sword , sometimes providing useful genes to their hosts and sometimes killing them 🛡️⚔️.
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November 13, 2024 at 11:22 AM
BUT at the same time, MGEs do not like rivals inside the same bacteria and can encode defense systems that protects the bacteria. In this way even though MGEs can be like a double-edged sword , sometimes providing useful genes to their hosts and sometimes killing them 🛡️⚔️.
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Thus, the infant gut may be like a melting pot of genes where MGEs provide bacteria with novel genes that help both organisms thrive 🏆. Yet at the same time, MGEs, especially phages can be trecherous and cause mass mortality within for their hosts 💀.
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November 13, 2024 at 11:22 AM
Thus, the infant gut may be like a melting pot of genes where MGEs provide bacteria with novel genes that help both organisms thrive 🏆. Yet at the same time, MGEs, especially phages can be trecherous and cause mass mortality within for their hosts 💀.
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This selection may reflect the high temperate phage activity in the infant gut and may be generalized to other MGEs like plasmids. This we think could lead to an increased rate of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) between all kinds of bacteria and MGEs.
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November 13, 2024 at 11:22 AM
This selection may reflect the high temperate phage activity in the infant gut and may be generalized to other MGEs like plasmids. This we think could lead to an increased rate of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) between all kinds of bacteria and MGEs.
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We know that these mobile genetic elements (MGEs) are abundant in the infant gut and can also be inherited from their mothers. Taking an ecological perspective we propose some ideas on how the harsh "colonization bottleneck" selects for MGEs that transmit horizontally between bacteria.
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November 13, 2024 at 11:22 AM
We know that these mobile genetic elements (MGEs) are abundant in the infant gut and can also be inherited from their mothers. Taking an ecological perspective we propose some ideas on how the harsh "colonization bottleneck" selects for MGEs that transmit horizontally between bacteria.
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The infant gut is colonized at birth, exposed to microbes from both mother and environment 👶. These microbes are vital for health by helping develop the immune system and protecting against pathogens. But what role do phages, plasmids, and phage-plasmids play in this ecosystem? 🤔
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November 13, 2024 at 11:22 AM
The infant gut is colonized at birth, exposed to microbes from both mother and environment 👶. These microbes are vital for health by helping develop the immune system and protecting against pathogens. But what role do phages, plasmids, and phage-plasmids play in this ecosystem? 🤔
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