Metabolic interactions shape emergent biofilm structures in a conceptual model of gut mucosal bacterial communities.

ABSTRACT: The gut microbiome plays a major role in human health; however, little is known about the structural arrangement of microbes and factors governing their distribution. In this work, we present an in silico agent-based model (ABM) to conceptually simulate the dynamics of gut mucosal bacterial communities. We explored how various types of metabolic interactions, including competition, neutralism, commensalism, and mutualism, affect community structure, through nutrient consumption and metabolite exchange. Results showed that, across scenarios with different initial species abundances, cross-feeding promotes species coexistence. Morphologically, competition and neutralism resulted in segregation, while mutualism and commensalism fostered high intermixing. In addition, cooperative relations res

SUBMITTER: Valiei A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11447261 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature