Microbial ecology: human gut microbes associated with obesity.
Two groups of beneficial bacteria are dominant in the human gut, the Bacteroidetes and the Firmicutes. Here we show that the relative proportion of Bacteroidetes is decreased in obese people by comparison with lean people, and that this proportion increases with weight loss on two types of low-calorie diet. Our findings indicate that obesity has a microbial component, which might have potential therapeutic implications.
Ley
Ruth E
RE
Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri 63108, USA.
Turnbaugh
Peter J
PJ
Klein
Samuel
S
Gordon
Jeffrey I
JI
D050154:Adiposity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D041963:Bacteroidetes / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004032:Diet; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000382:microbiology*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics
D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S