Metagenomic data from the mobilome
Homo sapiens
The human gut microbiome and its associated mobilome is critical to health and wellbeing. It hosts a complex ecosystem comprising a multitude of bacterial species, which contributes functionality that would otherwise be absent from the host. Transient and commensal bacteria in the gut must withstand many stresses. The influence of mobile genetic elements, such as plasmids, in stress adaptation within the ecosystem is relatively unknown. We found evidence for plasmid mediated osmotolerance as a phenotype amongst the Proteobacteria in healthy faecal slurries. A transconjugant carrying multiple plasmids acquired from healthy faecal slurry demonstrated increased osmotolerance in the presence of metal salts, particularly potassium chloride, which was not evident in the recipient. Sequencing and analysis of the total plasmid DNA demonstrated the presence of plasmid-borne osmotolerance systems (including KdpD and H-NS) which may be linked to the observed phenotype. This is the first report of a transferable osmotolerance phenotype in gut commensals and may have implications for the transfer of osmotolerance in other niches.
ENA first public
2015-06-01
ENA last update
2016-10-21
External Id
SAMEA3158509
INSDC center alias
CUSB-HM
INSDC center name
Cardiff University, School of Biosciences
INSDC first public
2015-06-01T16:20:34Z
INSDC last update
2016-10-21T09:36:31Z
INSDC status
public
Submitter Id
AR1
collection date
2009
common name
human
environment (biome)
Human colon
environment (feature)
Large intestine
environment (material)
feacal
geographic location (country and/or sea)
Ireland
geographic location (latitude)
51.892993
geographic location (longitude)
-8.490510
human gut environmental package
human-gut
investigation type
metagenome
project name
Investigation of the mobilome
sample name
AR1
sequencing method
454 pyrosequencing