Microbiota from the distal guts of lean and obese adolescents exhibit partial functional redundancy besides clear differences in community structure. (14th August 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ferrer, Manuel; Ruiz, Alicia; Lanza, Francesca; Haange, Sven‐Bastiaan; Oberbach, Andreas; Till, Holger; Bargiela, Rafael; Campoy, Cristina; Segura, Maria Teresa; Richter, Michael; von Bergen, Martin; Seifert, Jana; Suarez, Antonio
• Is Part Of: Environmental microbiology. Volume 15:Number 1(2013:Jan.)
• Page Start: 211
• Page End: 226
• Publication Date: 2012-08-14
• Subjects: Microbial ecology -- Periodicals; Environmental Microbiology -- Periodicals; 579.17
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2012.02845.x
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1462-2912

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" xml:lang="en"> <title>Summary</title> <p>Recent research has disclosed a tight connection between obesity, metabolic gut microbial activities and host health. Obtaining a complete understanding of this relationship remains a major goal. Here, we conducted a comparative metagenomic and metaproteomic investigation of gut microbial communities in faecal samples taken from an obese and a lean adolescent. By analysing the diversity of 16S rDNA amplicons (10% operational phylogenetic units being common), 22 Mbp of consensus metagenome sequences (∼ 70% common) and the expression profiles of 613 distinct proteins (82% common), we found that in the obese gut, the total microbiota was more abundant on the phylum <italic>Firmicutes</italic> (94.6%) as compared with <italic>Bacteroidetes</italic> (3.2%), although the metabolically active microbiota clearly behaves in a more homogeneous manner with both contributing equally. The lean gut showed a remarkable shift towards <italic>Bacteroidetes</italic> (18.9% total 16S rDNA), which become the most active fraction (81% proteins). Although the two gut communities maintained largely similar gene repertoires and functional profiles, improved pili‐ and flagella‐mediated host colonization and improved capacity for both complementary aerobic and anaerobic <italic>de novo</italic> B<sub>12</sub> synthesis, 1, 2‐propanediol catabolism (most likely participating in <italic>de novo</italic> B<sub>12</sub> synthesis) and butyrate production were observed in the obese gut, whereas bacteria from lean gut seem to be more engaged in vitamin B<sub>6</sub> synthesis. Furthermore, this study provides functional evidence that variable combinations of species from different phyla could 'presumptively' fulfil overlapping and/or complementary functional roles required by the host, a scenario where minor bacterial taxa seem to be significant active contributors.</p> </abstract>