E. Martens

Acarbose Impairs Gut Bacteroides Growth by Targeting Intracellular GH97 Enzymes

This paper investigates how acarbose affects two Bacteroides species, showing that Bt growth is inhibited while Bo growth is not, revealing complex mechanisms involving Sus system interactions and differential gene expression.

Ruminococcus torques is a keystone degrader of intestinal mucin glycoprotein, releasing oligosaccharides used by Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron

This study identifies Ruminococcus torques as a keystone mucin-degrading bacterium that releases oligosaccharides accessible to Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, linking its role to inflammatory bowel disease.

Diet-driven differential response of Akkermansia muciniphila modulates pathogen susceptibility

This study shows that Akkermansia muciniphila increases susceptibility to a gut pathogen under fiber-deprived conditions but reduces pathogen load on a fiber-sufficient diet.

C-terminal truncation of CXCL10 attenuates inflammatory activity but retains angiostatic properties

This study shows that truncating the C-terminus of CXCL10 reduces its inflammatory activity but maintains its anti-angiogenic effects.

Multiple TonB Homologs are Important for Carbohydrate Utilization by Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron

This study identifies TonB4 and TonB6 as functionally redundant in polysaccharide uptake by Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, with TonB4 being conserved across Bacteroides species.

Fitness advantage of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron capsular polysaccharide is dependent on the resident microbiota

This study quantifies colonization bottlenecks and growth dynamics of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron in the gut, showing that capsular polysaccharide provides a fitness advantage dependent on microbiota composition.

Phenotypic and genomic diversification in complex carbohydrate degrading human gut bacteria

The paper identifies genomic and phenotypic diversity in carbohydrate-degrading gut bacteria, showing variation in substrate utilization and evidence of gene transfer shaping metabolic capabilities.

Deprivation of dietary fiber in specific-pathogen-free mice promotes susceptibility to the intestinal mucosal pathogen Citrobacter rodentium

This study shows that a low-fiber diet in SPF mice increases susceptibility to Citrobacter rodentium by altering gut microbiota and reducing mucosal barrier integrity.

The Food Additive Xanthan Gum Drives Adaptation of the Human Gut Microbiota

This study shows that xanthan gum, a common food additive, promotes the adaptation of the human gut microbiota by enabling a novel degradation pathway in an uncultured Ruminococcaceae bacterium and facilitating cross-feeding by Bacteroides species.

Human gut Faecalibacterium prausnitzii deploy a highly efficient conserved system to cross-feed on β-mannan-derived oligosaccharides

This study identifies a conserved system in Faecalibacterium prausnitzii that enables efficient cross-feeding on β-mannan-derived oligosaccharides, enhancing butyrate production in the human gut.

STAT2 signaling as double-edged sword restricting viral dissemination but driving severe pneumonia in SARS-CoV-2 infected hamsters

This study shows that STAT2 signaling both restricts SARS-CoV-2 spread and causes severe pneumonia in infected hamsters.

Dietary xanthan gum alters antibiotic efficacy against the murine gut microbiota and attenuates Clostridioides difficile colonization

This study shows that dietary xanthan gum reduces C. difficile colonization in mice by maintaining gut microbiota diversity and abundance during antibiotic treatment.

A genetically adaptable strategy for ribose scavenging in a human gut symbiont plays a diet-dependent role in colon colonization

The paper identifies a ribose utilization system in Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron that is essential for gut colonization and shows its diet-dependent role through metabolic context.

Gelatinase B/matrix metalloproteinase-9 is a phase-specific effector molecule, independent from Fas, in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

This study investigates the role of MMP-9 in EAE, showing it acts independently of Fas and has phase-specific effects on disease progression and immune activation.