Longitudinal analysis of the prevalence, maintenance, and IgA response to species of the order Bacteroidales in the human gut.

ABSTRACT: Bacteroidales species are the most abundant Gram-negative bacteria of the human intestinal microbiota. These bacteria evolved to synthesize numerous capsular polysaccharides (PS) that are subject to phase variation. In Bacteroides fragilis, PS synthesis is regulated so that only one of the eight PS biosynthesis loci is transcribed at a time in each bacterium. To determine if the bacteria evolved this unusual property to evade a host IgA response, we directly studied the human fecal ecosystem. We performed a longitudinal analysis of the abundant Bacteroidales species from 15 healthy adults at four intervals over a year. For this study, we used bacterial culture to perform analyses not accurate with DNA-based methods, including quantification of total viable Bacteroidales bacteria, strain ma

SUBMITTER: Zitomersky NL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3088145 | biostudies-literature | 2011 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature