PUBLICATION

Reciprocal Gut Microbiota Transplants from Zebrafish and Mice to Germ-free Recipients Reveal Host Habitat Selection

Authors
Rawls, J.F., Mahowald, M.A., Ley, R.E., and Gordon, J.I.
ID
ZDB-PUB-061031-1
Date
2006
Source
Cell   127(20: 423-433 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Gordon, Jeffrey I., Mahowald, Michael A., Rawls, John F.
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Bacteria/classification*
  • Bacteria/genetics
  • Ecosystem
  • Gastrointestinal Tract/metabolism
  • Gastrointestinal Tract/microbiology*
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Germ-Free Life*
  • Ileum/metabolism
  • Ileum/microbiology
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/genetics
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/metabolism
  • Metabolism/genetics
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phylogeny
  • RNA, Bacterial/genetics*
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics*
  • Ribotyping
  • Selection, Genetic*
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Sequence Analysis, RNA
  • Symbiosis
  • Transcription, Genetic
  • Zebrafish/microbiology*
PubMed
17055441 Full text @ Cell
Abstract
The gut microbiotas of zebrafish and mice share six bacterial divisions, although the specific bacteria within these divisions differ. To test how factors specific to host gut habitat shape microbial community structure, we performed reciprocal transplantations of these microbiotas into germ-free zebrafish and mouse recipients. The results reveal that communities are assembled in predictable ways. The transplanted community resembles its community of origin in terms of the lineages present, but the relative abundance of the lineages changes to resemble the normal gut microbial community composition of the recipient host. Thus, differences in community structure between zebrafish and mice arise in part from distinct selective pressures imposed within the gut habitat of each host. Nonetheless, vertebrate responses to microbial colonization of the gut are ancient: Functional genomic studies disclosed shared host responses to their compositionally distinct microbial communities and distinct microbial species that elicit conserved responses.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping