John F. Rawls, Ph.D.
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jfrawls@med.unc.edu Office: (919) 966-8340, |
Research
The intestine harbors a large and diverse community of microorganisms, collectively known as the microbiota. The host and its microbiota form a complex relationship, the foundations of which have been forged over the course of animal evolution. Experiments using germ-free animal models have established that the gut microbiota regulates many aspects of host biology, including metabolism of dietary nutrients and maturation of the immune system. The identification of factors that help establish and sustain host-microbe relationships in the digestive tract should lead to new ways of manipulating our biology to promote health, and to treat diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and obesity. Despite the importance of the microbiota in host biology, many of the host and microbial factors that mediate these interactions are not yet understood.
We are using the zebrafish (Danio rerio) to investigate the mechanisms underlying host-microbe interactions in the vertebrate gut. The zebrafish is optically transparent from embryogenesis through the onset of adulthood, facilitating in vivo real-time observations of host tissues and their microbial inhabitants. Furthermore, the small size of the zebrafish facilitates high-throughput genetic and chemical screens. We have developed methods for rearing germ-free zebrafish, and used those techniques to identify host responses to the gut microbiota that have been evolutionarily conserved between fish and mammals. To generate simplified experimental platforms, we have also identified individual bacterial members of the gut microbiota that elicit conserved host responses upon colonization of germ-free zebrafish. Current research projects in our lab are focused on the following areas:
Innate immune responses to the gut microbiota: The gut microbiota stimulates a range of innate immune responses in the host, including production of antimicrobial and acute phase proteins, improved epithelial barrier function, and activation of leukocytes. We are combining genetic methods in zebrafish with genetic and biochemical analyses in representative bacterial species, to understand the nature of these bacterial signals and the host signaling pathways that transduce them.
Microbial regulation of host nutrient metabolism: Members of the gut microbiota process otherwise indigestible nutrients in the diet, leading to increased nutrient absorption and energy storage by the host. We are employing genetic methods in selected members of the gut microbiota to identify and characterize the bacterial factors that mediate this process. Molecular and genetic approaches are also being taken to understand how the host interprets and responds to these bacterial signals. We are also investigating how the gut microbiota influences the development and physiology of adipocytes, the major fat store in vertebrates and the predominant cell type in adipose tissues.
Recent publications
Semova I, Carten JD, Stombaugh J, Mackey LC, Knight R, Farber SA, Rawls JF. (2012) Microbiota regulate intestinal absorption and metabolism of fatty acids in the zebrafish. Cell Host & Microbe. 12(3):277-88.
Goldsmith JR, Cocchiaro JL, Rawls JF, Jobin C. (2012) Zebrafish glafenine-intestinal injury is ameliorated by mu-opioid signaling via enhancement of Atf6-dependent cellular stress responses. Dis Model Mech. 10.1242/dmm.009852.
Camp, J.G., Jazwa, A.L., Trent, C.M, and Rawls, J.F. (2012) Intronic cis-regulatory modules mediate tissue-specific and microbial control of angptl4/fiaf transcription. PLoS Genetics 8(3): e1002585.
Milligan-Myhre, K., Charette, J., Phennicie, R., Stephens, W.Z., Rawls, J.F., Guillemin, K., and Kim, C.H. (2011) Study of host-microbe interactions in zebrafish. Method. Cell Biol. 105: 87-116.
Minchin, J.E.N., and Rawls, J.F. (2011) In vivo analysis of white adipose tissue in zebrafish. Method. Cell Biol. 105: 63-86.
Kanther, K., Sun. S., Mühlbauer, M., Mackey, L.C., Flynn, E.J., Bagnat, M., Jobin, C., and Rawls, J.F. (2011) Microbial colonization induces dynamic temporal and spatial NF-?B responses in gnotobiotic zebrafish. Gastroenterology 141(1): 197-207.
Roeselers, G., Mittge, E.K., Stephens, W.Z., Parichy, D.M., Cavanaugh, C.M., Guillemin, K., and Rawls, J.F. (2011) Evidence for a core gut microbiota in the zebrafish. ISME Journal 5: 1595–1608.
Kanther, M., and Rawls, J.F. (2010) Host-microbe interactions in the developing zebrafish. Curr. Opin Immunol. 22: 10-19.
Volkman HE, Pozos TC, Zheng J, Davis JM, Rawls JF, Ramakrishnan L. (2010) Tuberculous granuloma induction via interaction of a bacterial secreted protein with host epithelium. Science 327(5964):466-9.
Flynn, E.J., Trent, C.M., and Rawls, J.F. (2009) Ontogeny and nutritional control of adipogenesis in zebrafish (Danio rerio). J. Lipid Res. (in press).
Camp, J.C., Kanther, M., Semova, I., and Rawls, J.F. (2009) Patterns and scales in gastrointestinal microbial ecology. Gastroenterology 136(6): 1989-2002.
Pham, L.N., Kanther, M., Semova, I., and Rawls, J.F. (2008) Methods for generating and colonizing gnotobiotic zebrafish. Nature Protocols 3(12): 1862-1875.
Rawls, J.F., Mahowald, M.A., Goodman, A.L., Trent, C.M., and Gordon, J.I. (2007) In vivo imaging and genetic analysis link bacterial motility and symbiosis in the zebrafish gut. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 104(18): 7622-7627.
Rawls, J.F., Mahowald, M.A., Ley, R.E., and Gordon, J.I. (2006) Reciprocal gut microbiota transplants from zebrafish and mice to germ-free recipients reveal host habitat selection. Cell 127(2): 423-433.
Pub Med PublicationsLab page
http://www.med.unc.edu/physiolo/faculty/rawls/fac_rawls
Affiliations
Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology
Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease
Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology
Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program (BBSP)
