Biology subjects

Favero, C.

Publications and source records attributed to Favero, C..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Characterization and description of Clostridium filamentum ETTB, a novel gut bacterium with TLR5 modulating properties

The Clostridium genus is highly heterogeneous, encompassing numerous species and strains, many of which remain to be isolated and characterized to better understand their relationship to host physiology. This study aimed to isolate and characterize novel bacterial species within the Clostridium genus and explore their potential links to host health. Under microaerophilic conditions, we isolated and characterized three bacterial isolates belonging to a new anaerobic Clostridium species, designating Clostridium sp. DSM 115107 (Clostridium filamentum ETTB3) as the type strain. C. filamentum ETTB isolates are rod- to filament-shaped, Gram-positive bacteria and exhibit poor growth when cultured on rich media such as LYBHI. Genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis revealed that C. filamentum ETTB belongs to the Clostridium genus and clusters closely with Clostridium saudiense JCC. Interestingly, C. filamentum ETTB has a significantly smaller genome compared to C. saudiense JCC containing a reduced repertoire of genes involved in carbohydrate degradation and amino acid synthesis and a larger number of genes related to cell motility, including an additional copy of the fliC gene. Unlike C. saudiense, C. filamentum ETTB adopted a filamentous morphology when in contact with Caco-2 cells and stimulate the TLR5 pathway in Caco-2 cells. Metagenomics analysis revealed that C. filamentum ETTB is present in both industrialized and non-industrialized populations, although the relative abundance varying considerably between and within individuals. Our study identifies a novel bacterial strain adapted for the human gut that has the potential to influence host immune response by activating TLR5 pathway.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2022

Prenatal alcohol exposure alters axon formation and Robo/Slit guidance cue expression in the internal capsule at E15.5

We previously showed the prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) induced precocious growth of E15.5 internal capsule axons. We set out to further delineate which axon tracts were affected and a potential mechanism for this phenomenon. Pregnant Swiss Webster mice were exposed to saline or 20% ethanol via subcutaneous injection from embryonic days (E) 7.5 until E14.5. E15.5 embryos were captured via C-section and brains were either fixed for immunostaining or flash frozen for tissue punches. To identify internal capsule axons we performed immunohistochemistry using L1 antibody to visualize all internal capsule axons and NetrinG1 antibody to identify thalamocortical axons specifically. mRNA was extracted from tissue punches to visualize Slit1, Robo1, Slit2, and Robo2 gene expression levels via real time RT PCR. We found that L1-expressing axons exhibited increased axon crossing in females with the opposite effect in males and no difference in Netrin-G1-expressing axons. We also found PAE increased Robo1 mRNA. Taken together, our results indicate that PAE elicits specific effects on axon trajectories, potentially via the Slit/Robo guidance family of repellents and receptors. These findings add to the growing body of evidence demonstrating alcohol disruptions of axon growth and guidance during embryonic development that may contribute to connectivity errors that characterize Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Moderate prenatal ethanol exposure increases total length of L1 axons in E15.5 mice

Public health campaigns broadcast the link between heavy alcohol consumption during pregnancy and physical, cognitive, and behavioral birth defects; however, they appear less effective in deterring moderate consumption prevalent in women who are pregnant or of childbearing age. The incidence of mild Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is likely underestimated because the affected individuals lack physical signs such as retarded growth and facial dysmorphology and cognitive/behavioral deficits are not commonly detected until late childhood. Sensory information processing is distorted in FASD, but alcohol effects on the development of axons that mediate these functions are not widely investigated. We hypothesize that alcohol exposure alters axon growth and guidance contributing to the aberrant connectivity that is a hallmark of FASD. To test this, we administered alcohol to pregnant dams from embryonic day (E) 7.5 to 14.5, during the time that axons which form the major forebrain tracts are growing. We found that moderate alcohol exposure had no effect on body weight of E15.5 embryos, but significantly increased the length of L1+ axons. Our findings support our hypothesis. Future studies will investigate cellular, molecular, and functional mechanisms that underlie these effects.

developmental biology↗