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Every year, 11% of infants are born preterm with significant health consequences, with the vaginal microbiome a risk factor for preterm birth. We crowdsource models to predict (1) preterm birth (PTB;

The gut microbiome provides vital functions for mammalian hosts, yet research on its variability and function across adult life spans and multiple generations is limited in large mammalian carnivores. Here, we used 16S rRNA gene and metagenomic high-throughput sequencing to profile the bacterial taxonomic composition, genomic diversity, and metabolic function of fecal samples collected from 12 wild spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) residing in the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, over a 23-year period spanning three generations. The metagenomic data came from four of these hyenas and spanned two 2-year periods. With these data, we determined the extent to which host factors predicted variation in the gut microbiome and identified the core microbes present in the guts of hyenas. We also investigated novel genomic diversity in the mammalian gut by reporting the first metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) for hyenas. We found that gut microbiome taxonomic composition varied temporally, but despite this, a core set of 14 bacterial genera were identified. The strongest predictors of the microbiome were host identity and age, suggesting that hyenas possess individualized microbiomes and that these may change with age during adulthood. The gut microbiome functional profiles of the four adult hyenas were also individual specific and were associated with prey abundance, indicating that the functions of the gut microbiome vary with host diet. We recovered 149 high-quality MAGs from the hyenas' guts; some MAGs were classified as taxa previously reported for other carnivores, but many were novel and lacked species-level matches to genomes in existing reference databases. IMPORTANCE There is a gap in knowledge regarding the genomic diversity and variation of the gut microbiome across a host's life span and across multiple generations of hosts in wild mammals. Using two types of sequencing approaches, we found that although gut microbiomes were individualized and temporally variable among hyenas, they correlated similarly to large-scale changes in the ecological conditions experienced by their hosts. We also recovered 149 high-quality MAGs from the hyena gut, greatly expanding the microbial genome repertoire known for hyenas, carnivores, and wild mammals in general. Some MAGs came from genera abundant in the gastrointestinal tracts of canid species and other carnivores, but over 80% of MAGs were novel and from species not previously represented in genome databases. Collectively, our novel body of work illustrates the importance of surveying the gut microbiome of nonmodel wild hosts, using multiple sequencing methods and computational approaches and at distinct scales of analysis.

The field of microbial pathogenesis seeks to identify the agents and mechanisms responsible for disease causation. Since Robert Koch introduced postulates that were used to guide the characterization of microbial pathogens, technological advances have substantially increased the capacity to rapidly identify a causative infectious agent. Research efforts currently focus on causation at the molecular level with a search for virulence factors (VFs) that contribute to different stages of the infectious process. We note that the quest to identify and characterize VFs sometimes lacks scientific rigor, and this suggests a need to examine the epistemology of VF characterization. We took this premise as an opportunity to explore the epistemology of VF characterization. In this perspective, we discuss how the characterization of various gene products that evolved to facilitate bacterial survival in the broader environment have potentially been prematurely mischaracterized as VFs that contribute to pathogenesis in the context of human biology. Examples of the reasoning that can affect misinterpretation, or at least a premature assignment of mechanistic causation, are provided. Our aim is to refine the categorization of VFs by emphasizing a broader biological view of their origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A long-standing problem in the study of mutualism is to understand the effects of non-mutualistic community members that exploit the benefits of mutualism without offering commodities in exchange (i.e., 'exploiters'). Mutualisms are continually challenged by exploiters and their persistence may depend on the costliness of exploitation or on adaptations that allow mutualists to avoid the negative effects of exploiters. Coevolution could lead to changes in mutualists and exploiters that allow mutualisms to persist. Although coevolution is considered essential for mutualism persistence and resistance to disturbance, we have yet to obtain direct experimental evidence of the role of coevolution in resistance to exploitation. Additionally, resistance to exploitation via coevolutionary processes might vary with the degree of dependency between mutualistic partners, as facultative mutualisms are thought to be under weaker coevolutionary selection than obligate mutualisms. Here, we conducted an experimental evolution study using a synthetic yeast mutualism to test how coevolution in facultative and obligate mutualisms affects their resistance to exploitation. We found that naive facultative mutualisms were more likely to breakdown under exploitation than naive obligate mutualisms. After 15 weeks of coevolution, both facultative and obligate evolved mutualists were more likely to survive exploitation than naive mutualists when we reassembled mutualist communities. Additionally, coevolved exploiters were more likely to survive with mutualists, whereas naive exploiters frequently went extinct. These results suggest that coevolution between mutualists and exploiters can lead to mutualism persistence, potentially explaining why exploitation is ubiquitous but rarely associated with mutualism breakdown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This editorial discusses the lack of representation of women in the field of coevolution and highlights the contributions that women have made to the field. It acknowledges the historical biases that have led to a male-dominated research landscape and emphasizes the importance of including diverse perspectives in scientific research. The editorial features a collection of articles written by women that explore various aspects of coevolution, such as symbiosis, microbial partnerships, and plant-pollinator interactions. The authors hope that this collection will inspire and support women in science. The article also addresses the issue of conflict of interest in research and emphasizes that the views expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent their affiliated organizations or the publisher. Relevant references to other scientific studies and publications are provided. [Extracted from the article]

This editorial discusses the importance of understanding the associations between parasites and their hosts in wildlife. The authors highlight the limitations of current molecular methods and the need for higher standards and novel questions in this field. The editorial presents six articles that use molecular methods to study host-parasite associations, covering topics such as population bottlenecks, coevolutionary history, genomic analyses, and infection patterns. The articles contribute to our understanding of coevolution and call for more molecular-based studies in this area. [Extracted from the article]