A model of host-microbial interactions in an open mammalian ecosystem.
The maintenance and significance of the complex populations of microbes present in the mammalian intestine are poorly understood. Comparison of conventionally housed and germ-free NMRI mice revealed that production of fucosylated glycoconjugates and an alpha1, 2-fucosyltransferase messenger RNA in the small-intestinal epithelium requires the normal microflora. Colonization of germ-free mice with Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, a component of this flora, restored the fucosylation program, whereas an isogenic strain carrying a transposon insertion that disrupts its ability to use L-fucose as a carbon source did not. Simplified models such as this should aid the study of open microbial ecosystems.
Bry
L
L
Department of Molecular Biology and Pharmacology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
Falk
P G
PG
Midtvedt
T
T
Gordon
J I
JI
D000818:Animals; D001439:Bacteroides / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D017753:Ecosystem; D005643:Fucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D005647:Fucosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005856:Germ-Free Life; D006001:Glycoconjugates / Q000378:metabolism*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D000097631:Galactoside 2-alpha-L-fucosyltransferase
D005643:Fucose; D005647:Fucosyltransferases; D006001:Glycoconjugates; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000097631:Galactoside 2-alpha-L-fucosyltransferase