Journal Articles

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/7915

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    Culture media and format alter cellular composition and barrier integrity of porcine colonoid-derived monolayers
    (Taylor and Francis Group, 2024-04-02) Barnett AM; Mullaney JA; McNabb WC; Roy NC
    Intestinal organoid technology has revolutionized our approach to in vitro cell culture due in part to their three-dimensional structures being more like the native tissue from which they were derived with respect to cellular composition and architecture. For this reason, organoids are becoming the new gold standard for undertaking intestinal epithelial cell research. Unfortunately, their otherwise advantageous three-dimensional geometry prevents easy access to the apical epithelium, which is a major limitation when studying interactions between dietary or microbial components and host tissues. To overcome this problem, we developed porcine colonoid-derived monolayers cultured on both permeable Transwell inserts and tissue culture treated polystyrene plates. We found that seeding density and culture format altered the expression of genes encoding markers of specific cell types (stem cells, colonocytes, goblets, and enteroendocrine cells), and barrier maturation (tight junctions). Additionally, we found that changes to the formulation of the culture medium altered the cellular composition of colonoids and of monolayers derived from them, resulting in cultures with an increasingly differentiated phenotype that was similar to that of their tissue of origin.
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    Porcine colonoids and enteroids keep the memory of their origin during regeneration
    (American Physiological Society, 2021-05-01) Barnett AM; Mullaney JA; Hendriks C; Le Borgne L; McNabb WC; Roy NC
    The development of alternative in vitro culture methods has increased in the last decade as three-dimensional organoids of various tissues, including those of the small and large intestines. Due to their multicellular composition, organoids offer advantages over traditionally used immortalized or primary cell lines. However, organoids must be accurate models of their tissues of origin. This study compared gene expression profiles with respect to markers of specific cell types (stem cells, enterocytes, goblet, and enteroendocrine cells) and barrier maturation (tight junctions) of colonoid and enteroid cultures with their tissues of origin and colonoids with enteroids. Colonoids derived from three healthy pigs formed multilobed structures with a monolayer of cells similar to the crypt structures in colonic tissue. Colonoid and enteroid gene expression signatures were more similar to those found for the tissues of their origin than to each other. However, relative to their derived tissues, organoids had increased gene expression levels of stem cell markers Sox9 and Lgr5 encoding sex-determining region Y-box 9 and leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled rector 5, respectively. In contrast, expression levels of Occl and Zo1 encoding occludin and zonula occludens 1, respectively, were decreased. Expression levels of the cell lineage markers Atoh1, Cga, and Muc2 encoding atonal homolog 1, chromogranin A, and mucin 2, respectively, were decreased in colonoids, whereas Sglt1 and Apn encoding sodium-glucose transporter 1 and aminopeptidase A, respectively, were decreased in enteroids. These results indicate colonoid and enteroid cultures were predominantly comprised of undifferentiated cell types with decreased barrier maturation relative to their tissues of origin.
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    Food-breastmilk combinations alter the colonic microbiome of weaning infants: an in silico study
    (American Society for Microbiology, 2024-09) da Silva VG; Smith NW; Mullaney JA; Wall C; Roy NC; McNabb WC; Garrido D
    The introduction of solid foods to infants, also known as weaning, is a critical point for the development of the complex microbial community inhabiting the human colon, impacting host physiology in infancy and later in life. This research investigated in silico the impact of food-breastmilk combinations on growth and metabolite production by colonic microbes of New Zealand weaning infants using the metagenome-scale metabolic model named Microbial Community. Eighty-nine foods were individually combined with breastmilk, and the 12 combinations with the strongest influence on the microbial production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs) were identified. Fiber-rich and polyphenol-rich foods, like pumpkin and blackcurrant, resulted in the greatest increase in predicted fluxes of total SCFAs and individual fluxes of propionate and acetate when combined, respectively, with breastmilk. Identified foods were further combined with other foods and breastmilk, resulting in 66 multiple food-breastmilk combinations. These combinations altered in silico the impact of individual foods on the microbial production of SCFAs and BCFAs, suggesting that the interaction between the dietary compounds composing a meal is the key factor influencing colonic microbes. Blackcurrant combined with other foods and breastmilk promoted the greatest increase in the production of acetate and total SCFAs, while pork combined with other foods and breastmilk decreased the production of total BCFAs. IMPORTANCE Little is known about the influence of complementary foods on the colonic microbiome of weaning infants. Traditional in vitro and in vivo microbiome methods are limited by their resource-consuming concerns. Modeling approaches represent a promising complementary tool to provide insights into the behavior of microbial communities. This study evaluated how foods combined with other foods and human milk affect the production of short-chain fatty acids and branched-chain fatty acids by colonic microbes of weaning infants using a rapid and inexpensive in silico approach. Foods and food combinations identified here are candidates for future experimental investigations, helping to fill a crucial knowledge gap in infant nutrition.