Comparison of methods and animal models commonly used for investigation of fecal microbiota: effects of time, host and gender.
Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and plating on selective agars were used to study variation in the fecal microbiota of rats over time as well as variation between individuals. Investigated rats were either conventional and specific pathogen free (SPF), or human flora associated (HFA). A higher variation (p<0.05) in fecal microbiota over time was observed for HFA than for SPF animals. Analysis of DGGE and T-RFLP profiles of fecal microbiota from SPF and HFA rats revealed that variation over time was less significant than variation between individuals, and that phylogenetic profiles clustered according to gender. These observations should be taken into account when designing future research addressing changes in fecal microbiota.
Bernbom
Nete
N
Department of Microbiological Food Safety, Danish Institute for Food and Veterinary Research, Mørkhøj Bygade 19, DK-2860 Søborg, Denmark.
Nørrung
Birgit
B
Saadbye
Peter
P
Mølbak
Lars
L
Vogensen
Finn K
FK
Licht
Tine Rask
TR
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S