Metagenomic analysis of the human distal gut microbiome.
The human intestinal microbiota is composed of 10(13) to 10(14) microorganisms whose collective genome ("microbiome") contains at least 100 times as many genes as our own genome. We analyzed approximately 78 million base pairs of unique DNA sequence and 2062 polymerase chain reaction-amplified 16S ribosomal DNA sequences obtained from the fecal DNAs of two healthy adults. Using metabolic function analyses of identified genes, we compared our human genome with the average content of previously sequenced microbial genomes. Our microbiome has significantly enriched metabolism of glycans, amino acids, and xenobiotics; methanogenesis; and 2-methyl-d-erythritol 4-phosphate pathway-mediated biosynthesis of vitamins and isoprenoids. Thus, humans are superorganisms whose metabolism represents an amalgamation of microbial and human attributes.
Gill
Steven R
SR
Institute for Genomic Research, 9712 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD 20850, USA. srgill@buffalo.edu
Pop
Mihai
M
Deboy
Robert T
RT
Eckburg
Paul B
PB
Turnbaugh
Peter J
PJ
Samuel
Buck S
BS
Gordon
Jeffrey I
JI
Relman
David A
DA
Fraser-Liggett
Claire M
CM
Nelson
Karen E
KE
D000328:Adult; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000378:metabolism; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000378:metabolism; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005285:Fermentation; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D015262:Xenobiotics / Q000378:metabolism
D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D015262:Xenobiotics