A5101789647- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
- Gut microbiota and health
- Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens research
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Immune Cell Function and Interaction
- Adenosine and Purinergic Signaling
- Ion channel regulation and function
- IL-33, ST2, and ILC Pathways
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Gastrointestinal motility and disorders
- Escherichia coli research studies
- Mitochondrial Function and Pathology
- Lichen and fungal ecology
- Helminth infection and control
- Seedling growth and survival studies
- Immune Response and Inflammation
- Dietary Effects on Health
- Immune responses and vaccinations
- Pharmacological Receptor Mechanisms and Effects
- Diet and metabolism studies
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Inflammasome and immune disorders
University of Toronto
2011-2023
Toronto General Hospital
2014
University of Northern British Columbia
2007-2014
Ecosystem Sciences
2012
Canada Research Chairs
2012
King's College London
2001
University College London
1998-1999
University of Edinburgh
1992-1998
The intestinal microbiota is a fundamental factor that broadly influences physiology. Thus, studies using transgenic animals should be designed to limit the confounding effects of variation between strains. Here, we report impact on co-housed versus F2-generation littermates, two commonly used techniques standardize in animal models. Our results establish while fecal partially normalized by extended co-housing, mucosal communities associated with proximal colon and terminal ileum remain...
Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) harbour intestinal bacterial communities altered composition compared healthy counterparts; however, it is unknown whether changes in the microbiota are associated genetic susceptibility of individuals for developing disease or instead reflect other environment related to itself. Since deficiencies innate immune receptors Nod1 and Nod2 linked IBD, we tested hypothesis that Nod-signaling alters profiles subsequently community structure. We used...
Abstract NKT cells are unconventional T that respond to self and microbe-derived lipid glycolipid Ags presented by the CD1d molecule. Invariant (iNKT) influence immune responses in numerous diseases. Although only a few studies have examined their role during intestinal inflammation, it appears iNKT protect from Th1-mediated inflammation but exacerbate Th2-mediated inflammation. Studies using cell–deficient mice chemically induced dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) colitis led inconsistent...
NLRP6 is a Nod-like receptor expressed in the intestinal epithelium. Previous studies reported protective role for against injury and colitis-associated carcinogenesis via regulation establishment of healthy microbiota. However, these results were not obtained using littermate animals, leaving possibility that pro-colitogenic microbiota phenotype associated with knockout (KO) mice was stochastically acquired genotype independent. Here, we analyzed at three locations from Nlrp6−/− wild-type...
Robertson, S. J., Rutherford, P. M., López-Gutiérrez, J. C. and Massicotte, H. B. 2012. Biochar enhances seedling growth alters root symbioses properties of sub-boreal forest soils. Can. Soil Sci. 92: 329–340. application may enhance soil properties, improve plant productivity, increase long-term carbon storage, but impacts biochar on plant-microbe mediating nutrient uptake in temperate or boreal soils are not well known. We planted lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) sitka alder...
Insulin resistance is a chronic inflammatory condition accompanying obesity or high fat diets that leads to type 2 diabetes. It hypothesized lipids and gut bacterial compounds in particular contribute metabolic inflammation by activating the immune system; however, receptors detecting these "instigators" of remain largely undefined. Here, we show circulating activators NOD1, receptor for peptidoglycan, increase with feeding mice, suggesting NOD1 could be critical sensor leading inflammation....
Alterations in the microbiome correlate with improved metabolism patients following bariatric surgery. While fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from obese into germ-free (GF) mice has suggested a significant role of gut metabolic improvements surgery, causality remains to be confirmed. Here, we perform paired FMT same (BMI > 40; four patients), pre- and 1 or 6 months post-Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) Western diet-fed GF mice. Mice colonized by patients' post-surgery stool exhibit...
The patch‐clamp technique was used to examine levamisole‐activated channels in muscle vesicles from Ascaris suum . Cell‐attached and isolated inside‐out patches were used. Levamisole (1–90 μ m ), applied the extracellular surface, activated which had apparent mean open‐times range 0.80–2.85 ms linear I/V relationships with conductances 19–46 pS. Ion‐replacement experiments showed be cation selective. kinetics of analysed. Generally open‐ closed‐time distributions best fitted by two, three...
Ten sites near the Snake River Plain have consistent differences in their climatic histories. Sites at low elevation reflect “early Holocene xerothermic” of Pacific Northwest, whereas most chronologies high indicate maximum warmth or aridity somewhat later, ca. 6000 yr ago. This elevational contrast histories is duplicated three from central Plain. For such close proximity, different cannot be explained by changes atmospheric circulation during late Quaternary. Rather, are best autecology...
Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) communities of black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) seedlings were characterized from three habitats spanning a moisture gradient in central British Columbia: dominated wetlands, tamarack and lodgepole pine uplands. Morphological molecular (PCR-RFLP) analyses indicated diverse community root-associated ECM fungi consisting 33 morphotypes 65 genotypes. abundance varied significantly between for six morphotypes. Although many occurred all habitats, some only one or...
Endoglin is a coreceptor of the TGF-β superfamily predominantly expressed on vascular endothelium and selective subsets immune cells. We previously demonstrated that heterozygous (Eng (+/-)) mice subjected to dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) developed persistent gut inflammation pathological angiogenesis. now report colitic Eng (+/-) have low colonic levels active TGF-β1, which was associated with reduced expression thrombospondin-1, an angiostatic factor known activate TGF-β1. also demonstrate...
Abstract Loss of function in the NOD2 gene is associated with a higher risk developing Crohn’s disease (CD). CD characterized by activation T cells and activated are involved mucosal inflammation damage. We found that acute cell anti-CD3 mAb induced stronger small intestinal damage NOD2−/− mice compared wild-type mice. This enhanced was loss crypt architecture, increased epithelial apoptosis, delayed regeneration an accumulation inflammatory cytokines Th17 intestine. Partial microbiota...