Check here your local time and date
Add the PACIFIC event to your calendar
Check here your local time and date
Add the ATLANTIC event to your calendar
Keynote talk
Gut Microbiota and Obesity, Metabolic Regulation
By Prof. Ruixin Liu, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, China
Selected Talks
Interconnected pathways link faecal microbiota plasma lipids and brain activity to childhood malnutrition related cognition
By Theo Portlock, University of Auckland, New Zealand
Malnutrition affects over 30 million children annually and has profound immediate and enduring repercussions. Survivors often suffer lasting neurocognitive consequences that impact academic performance and socioeconomic outcomes. Mechanistic understanding of the emergence of these consequences is poorly understood. Using multi-system SHAP interpreted random forest models and network analysis, we show that Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) associates with enrichment of faecal Rothia mucilaginosa, Streptococcus salivarius and depletion of Bacteroides fragilis in a cohort of one-year-old children in Dhaka, Bangladesh. These microbiome changes form interconnected pathways that involve reduced plasma odd-chain fatty acid levels, decreased gamma and beta electroencephalogram power in temporal and frontal brain regions, and reduced vocalization. These findings support the hypothesis that prolonged colonization by oral commensal species delay gut microbiome and brain development. While causal links require empirical validation, this study provides insights to improve interventions targeting MAM-associated neurodevelopmental deficits.
From microbes to mind and actions: Uncovering the gut-brain connection in major depressive disorder and its implications for human health and lifestyle
By Maria Kardakova, University of Surrey, UK
The gut microbiome, shaped by dietary choices, medication use, and host genetics, is emerging as a key determinant of physical and mental health. In this study, we explored the intricate links between the gut microbiome and major depressive disorder (MDD). Using a comprehensive dataset included 16S rRNA gene sequences from 7,472 individuals across Eastern and Western Europe, we employed a discovery-replication design followed by meta-analysis. Data processing and bioinformatics analyses were conducted using the QIIME2 platform.
In the discovery set, 544 individuals (12%) reported a clinical diagnosis of MDD, compared to 3,912 without. Similarly, in the replication set, 285 (12%) reported MDD, while 2,167 did not. We applied linear regression models and meta-analysis across the two datasets using MaAsLin2 and ANCOM-BC2, adjusting for geographic region, age, gender, and batch effects using bacterial relative abundance was the primary outcome. Meta-analysis across the datasets identified 22 taxa significantly associated with MDD (q<0.05) using MaAsLin2, with nine taxa: Romboutsia, Clostridium sensu stricto, Agathobacter, Bacteroides pectinophilus group, Flavonifractor, Coprococcus, Victivallis, Tyzzerella, and Bacteroides, - confirmed by ANCOM-BC2.
MR analysis using MiBioGen and depression GWAS data revealed no consistent causal relationships between bacterial taxa and MDD. However, mediation analyses showed that Bacteroides mediated 3–8% of single lifestyle effects and up to 61% of total effects on MDD, with notable contributions for healthy weight, physical activity, and diet. Specific taxa such as Bacteroides pectinophilus group, Victivallis, and Tyzzerella mediated 14–16%, 3–6%, and 4% of certain lifestyle effects, respectively. Additionally, a history of supplementation with Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria probiotics was positively associated with MDD, indicating potential microbial alterations in individuals with depressive disorders. The integration of multiple bacterial taxa into a microbiome risk score outperformed single-taxon associations, achieving an AUC of 0.6 and demonstrating its potential to capture broader microbial patterns.
Our findings reveal consistent microbial signatures linked to MDD. Individuals with a history of MDD exhibited notably reduced microbiome alpha diversity but higher relative abundance of SCFA-producing bacteria. These results suggest that the gut microbiota may play a significant role in the pathophysiology of MDD and highlight the importance of microbial composition in understanding and potentially managing MDD.
Bin Chicken: targeted metagenomic coassembly for the efficient recovery of novel genomes
By Samuel Aroney, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
Recovery of microbial genomes from metagenomic datasets has provided genomic representation for hundreds of thousands of species from diverse biomes. However, low abundance microorganisms are often missed due to insufficient genomic coverage. Here we present Bin Chicken, an algorithm which substantially improves genome recovery through automated, targeted selection of metagenomes for coassembly based on shared marker gene sequences derived from raw reads. Marker gene sequences that are divergent from known reference genomes can be further prioritised, providing an efficient means of recovering highly novel genomes. Applying Bin Chicken to public metagenomes and coassembling 800 sample-groups recovered 77,562 microbial genomes, including the first genomic representatives of 6 phyla, 41 classes, and 24,028 species. These genomes expand the genomic tree of life and uncover a wealth of novel microbial lineages for further research.
MicroTalks
Succinic semialdehyde derived from the gut microbiota can promote the proliferation of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma cells
By Nodoka Chiba, Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan
Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is a refractory blood cancer with severe immunodeficiency resulting from retroviral infection. ATLL develops in only 5 % of HTLV-1-infected individuals, but the entire mechanism of ATLL progression remains unknown. Since recent studies have reported that the gut microbiome influences the progression of various diseases, we hypothesized that ATLL is also related to the gut microbiome and aimed to investigate this relationship.
We analyzed the taxonomic and functional profiles of the gut microbiota of ATLL patients (n = 28) and HTLV-1-infected individuals (n = 37). We found that the succinic semialdehyde (SSA) synthesis pathway was significantly enriched in the gut microbiome of ATLL patients (P = 0.000682), and Klebsiella, whose abundance was significantly greater in ATLL patients and high-risk HTLV-1-infected individuals (P = 0.0326), was the main contributor to this pathway. Administration of SSAs to ATLL cell lines resulted in significant cell proliferation. Herein, we propose that the gut microbiome can regulate ATLL progression via metabolites.