title: A metagenomic study of the preventive effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG on intestinal polyp formation in ApcMin/+mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the in vivo effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) on intestinal polyp development and the interaction between this single-organism probiotic and the gut microbiota therein.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ApcMin/+mouse model was used to study the potential preventive effect of LGG on intestinal polyposis, while shotgun metagenomic sequencing was employed to characterize both taxonomic and functional changes within the gut microbial community. We found that the progression of intestinal polyps in the control group altered the community functional profile remarkably despite small variation in the taxonomic diversity. In comparison, the consumption of LGG helped maintain the overall functional potential and taxonomic profile in the resident microbes, thereby leading to a 25% decrease of total polyp counts. Furthermore, we found that LGG enriched those microbes or microbial activities related to short-chain fatty acid production (e.g. Roseburia and Coprococcus), as well as suppressed the ones that can lead to inflammation (e.g. Bilophila wadsworthia).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study using shotgun metagenomics highlights how single probiotic LGG may exert its beneficial effects and decrease polyp formation in mice by maintaining gut microbial functionality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This probiotic intervention targeting microbiota may be used in conjugation with other dietary supplements or drugs as part of prevention strategies for early-stage colon cancer, after further clinical validations in human.
authors.affiliation: Systems Biology and Bioinformatics Group, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: V H Y
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: W C S
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Tai
authors.affiliation: Systems Biology and Bioinformatics Group, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: W Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: M M L
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: F L Y
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Fong
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.|Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: El-Nezami
authors.affiliation: Systems Biology and Bioinformatics Group, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.|Systems Biology and Bioinformatics Group, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoll Institute, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Panagiotou
mesh_terms: D025601:Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007417:Intestinal Polyps / Q000517:prevention & control*; D052201:Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus / Q000254:growth & development*; D056186:Metagenomics / Q000379:methods; D051379:Mice; D064307:Microbiota / Q000187:drug effects*; D010802:Phylogeny; D019936:Probiotics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013467:Sulindac / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D025601:Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein; C000613192:adenomatous polyposis coli protein, mouse; D013467:Sulindac
keywords: LGG; gut microbiota; intestinal polyposis; metagenomics; probiotics