Untangling Species-Level Composition of Complex Bacterial Communities through a Novel Metagenomic Approach.

ABSTRACT: 16S small-subunit (SSU) rRNA gene-based bacterial profiling is the gold standard for cost-effective taxonomic reconstruction of complex bacterial populations down to the genus level. However, it has been proven ineffective in clinical and research settings requiring higher taxonomic resolution. We therefore developed a bacterial profiling method based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region employing optimized primers and a comprehensive ITS database for accurate cataloguing of bacterial communities at (sub)species resolution. Performance of the microbial ITS profiling pipeline was tested through analysis of host-associated, food, and environmental matrices, while its efficacy in clinical settings was assessed through analysis of mucosal biopsy specimens of colorectal cancer, leadi

SUBMITTER: Milani C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7394355 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature