On the robustness of inference of association with the gut microbiota in stool, rectal swab and mucosal tissue samples.

ABSTRACT: The gut microbiota plays an important role in human health and disease. Stool, rectal swab and rectal mucosal tissue samples have been used in individual studies to survey the microbial community but the consequences of using these different sample types are not completely understood. In this study, we report differences in stool, rectal swab and rectal mucosal tissue microbial communities with shotgun metagenome sequencing of 1397 stool, swab and mucosal tissue samples from 240 participants. The taxonomic composition of stool and swab samples was distinct, but less different to each other than mucosal tissue samples. Functional profile differences between stool and swab samples are smaller, but mucosal tissue samples remained distinct from the other two types. When the taxonomic and funct

SUBMITTER: Sun S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8295290 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature