Ancient T-independence of mucosal IgX/A: gut microbiota unaffected by larval thymectomy in Xenopus laevis.

ABSTRACT: Many studies address the influence of the gut microbiome on the immune system, but few dissect the effect of T cells on gut microbiota and mucosal responses. We have employed larval thymectomy in Xenopus to study the gut microbiota with and without the influence of T lymphocytes. Pyrosequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA genes was used to assess the relative abundance of bacterial groups present in the stomach, small and large intestine. Clostridiaceae was the most abundant family throughout the gut, while Bacteroidaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, and Flavobacteriaceae also were well represented. Unifrac analysis revealed no differences in microbiota distribution between thymectomized and unoperated frogs. This is consistent with immunization data showing that levels of the mucosal immunoglobulin IgX

SUBMITTER: Mashoof S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3514589 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature