Abstract

We have analyzed 5,088 bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences from the distal intestinal (cecal) microbiota of genetically obese ob/ob mice, lean ob/+ and wild-type siblings, and their ob/+ mothers, all fed the same polysaccharide-rich diet. Although the majority of mouse gut species are unique, the mouse and human microbiota(s) are similar at the division (superkingdom) level, with Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes dominating. Microbial-community composition is inherited from mothers. However, compared with lean mice and regardless of kinship, ob/ob animals have a 50% reduction in the abundance of Bacteroidetes and a proportional increase in Firmicutes. These changes, which are division-wide, indicate that, in this model, obesity affects the diversity of the gut microbiota and suggest that intentional manipulation of community structure may be useful for regulating energy balance in obese individuals.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)11070-11075
Number of pages6
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume102
Issue number31
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2 2005

Keywords

  • Energy balance/obesity
  • Host-microbial interactions
  • Intestinal bacterial diversity
  • Phylogenetics
  • ob/ob mice

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