Microbiome and metabolic disease: revisiting the bacterial phylum Bacteroidetes

Abstract

Bacterial species composition in the gut has emerged as an important factor in obesity and its related metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. Out of thousands of bacterial species-level phylotypes inhabiting the human gut, the majority belong to two dominant phyla, the Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. Members of the Bacteroidetes in particular have been associated with human metabolic diseases. However, their associations with disease are not always consistent between studies. Delving deeper into the diversity within the Bacteroidetes reveals a vast diversity in genomes and capacities, which partly explain how not all members respond equally to similar environmental conditions in their hosts. Here, we discuss the Bacteroidetes phylum, associations of its members with metabolic phenotypes, and efforts to characterize functionally their interactions with their hosts. Harnessing the Bacteroidetes to promote metabolic health will require a nuanced understanding of how specific strains interact with their microbial neighbors and their hosts under various conditions.

Effects of acute heat stress on intestinal microbiota in grow‐finishing pigs, and associations with feed intake and serum profile

“…Bacteroidetes (phylum) are thought to be important to the host to get energy from diets by fermentation of polysaccharides and production of SCFAs (Johnson et al ). The decline of Bacteroidetes (phylum) leads to reduction of SCFAs similar to that showed by the HS pigs in the current work.…”

Physiology and central carbon metabolism of the gut bacterium Prevotella copri

“…Therefore, there is an increasing interest in exploring the gut microbiota and its functional impact. The most abundant gut microbes in the human large intestines belong either to the phyla Firmicutes or to the Bacteroidetes (The Human Microbiome Project Consortium, ; Johnson et al, ). Of the latter, the majority is dominated by the genera Bacteroides or Prevotella , which exhibit a mutual antagonistic relationship within the gastrointestinal microbiota of humans (Kovatcheva‐Datchary et al, ; Ley, ; Johnson et al, ).…”

Exploring the microbiome in health and disease

“…Below, we provide an overview of the most recent reviews on gut microbiota and metabolic diseases. 31,56,[105][106][107][108][109][110] Obesity Gut microbial composition alterations have been extensively described as either potentially causal or protective toward weight gain 111,112 both in human and mouse studies. An analysis of the metabolic phenotypes of eight genetically distinct inbred mouse strains in response to a HFD revealed several variations in their metabolic-related phenotypes and gut microbiota.…”