Question

Can anyone explain in laymen's term? Also, point out key information to put in my introduction/background information slide in bullet points

The gut microbiome consists of a multi-kingdom microbial community. Whilst the role of bacteria as causal contributors governing host physiological development is well established, the role of fungi remains to be determined. Here, we use germ-free mice colonized with defined species of bacteria, fungi, or both to differentiate the causal role of fungi on microbiome assembly, immune development, susceptibility to colitis, and airway inflammation. Fungal colonization promotes major shifts in bacterial microbiome ecology, and has an independent effect on innate and adaptive immune development in young mice. While exclusive fungal colonization is insufficient to elicit overt dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis, bacterial and fungal co-colonization increase colonic inflammation. Ovalbumininduced airway inflammation reveals that bacterial, but not fungal colonization is necessary to decrease airway inflammation, yet fungi selectively promotes macrophage infiltration in the airway. Together, our findings demonstrate a causal role for fungi in microbial ecology and host immune functionality, and therefore prompt the inclusion of fungi in therapeutic approaches aimed at modulating early life microbiomes

Answer 1

Many type of microorganisms found in our gut. They belong to different kingdoms like Monera, fungi etc. Bacteria which are found in the gut play very important role in the physiological processes occurung in the body. However, role of fungi found in our gut is yet not known. Here in our study, we have taken germ free mouse. In some mice, known species of bacteria are inserted, in some other, known speccies of fungi are inserted and in some other known species of both bacteria and fungi are inserted which are generally known in gut. We want to find the difference in microbiome assembly of bacteria and fungi, difference in immunity development in the hosts, difference in susceptibility to colitis (a disease causing inflammation in inner lining of colon) and airways inflammation occurring in case of these two different type of microbes. It is found that fungi present along with bacteria causes a major shift in the population of bacteria. Also, fungi when present along with bacteria has an independent effect on both innate and adaptive immunity development in young mice. However, fungi when present alone, is not capable of producing dextran sulphate sodium-induced colitis (colitis caused by accumulation of dextran sulphate). Bacteria and fungi together also caused inflammation in colon of mice. Also, it was found that bacteria plays its role in decreasing the airways inflammation, fungi don't have any such effect. However, fungi are found to increase the amount of macrophages in airways (respiratory tracts). In this way, our study reveals the the role of fungi in maintanance of ecology of microbes like bacteria and in the functionality of immune system of host. Hence, it can be concluded that fungi played an important role in modifying the early life of microbes in microbiomes.