Identifying determinants of bacterial fitness in a model of human gut microbial succession.

ABSTRACT: Human gut microbiota development has been associated with healthy growth but understanding the determinants of community assembly and composition is a formidable challenge. We cultured bacteria from serially collected fecal samples from a healthy infant; 34 sequenced strains containing 103,102 genes were divided into two consortia representing earlier and later stages in community assembly during the first six postnatal months. The two consortia were introduced alone (singly), or sequentially in different order, or simultaneously into young germ-free mice fed human infant formula. The pattern of fitness of bacterial strains observed across the different colonization conditions indicated that later-phase strains substantially outcompete earlier-phase strains, although four early-phase membe

SUBMITTER: Feng L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7007522 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature