A Ribose-Scavenging System Confers Colonization Fitness on the Human Gut Symbiont Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron in a Diet-Specific Manner.

ABSTRACT: Efficient nutrient acquisition in the human gut is essential for microbial persistence. Although polysaccharides have been well-studied nutrients for the gut microbiome, other resources such as nucleic acids and nucleosides are less studied. We describe several ribose-utilization systems (RUSs) that are broadly represented in Bacteroidetes and appear to have diversified to access ribose from a variety of substrates. One Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron RUS variant is critical for competitive gut colonization in a diet-specific fashion. We used molecular genetics to probe the required functions of the system and the nature of the nutrient source(s) underlying this phenotype. Two RUS-encoded ribokinases were the only components required for this effect, presumably because they generate ribose-ph

SUBMITTER: Glowacki RWP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7031954 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature