title: Genotype is a stronger determinant than sex of the mouse gut microbiota.
abstract: The mammalian gut microbiota is considered to be determined mostly by diet, while the effect of genotype is still controversial. Here, we examined the effect of genotype on the gut microbiota in normal populations, exhibiting only natural polymorphisms, and evaluated this effect in comparison to the effect of sex. DNA fingerprinting approaches were used to profile the gut microbiota of eight different recombinant inbred mouse lines of the collaborative cross consortium, whose level of genetic diversity mimics that of a natural human population. Analyses based on automated ribosomal internal transcribed spacer analysis demonstrated significant higher similarity of the gut microbiota composition within mouse lines than between them or within same-gender groups. Thus, genetic background significantly impacts the microbiota composition and is a stronger determinant than gender. These findings imply that genetic polymorphisms help shape the intestinal microbiota of mammals and consequently could affect host susceptibility to diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kovacs
authors.forename: Noa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ben-Jacob
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tayem
authors.forename: Eran
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Halperin
authors.forename: Fuad A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Iraqi
authors.forename: Uri
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gophna
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000235:genetics; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology*; D005838:Genotype; D008297:Male; D054892:Metagenome; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer