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Guided Protocol for Fecal Microbial Characterization by 16S rRNA-Amplicon Sequencing
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A human gut microbial gene catalogue established by metagenomic sequencing
Junjie Qin1, Ruiqiang Li, Jeroen Raes
1BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China.
Nature
|March 6, 2010
Summary
Understanding gut microbes is key to human health. This study sequenced 3.3 million microbial genes from European individuals, revealing a shared core gut microbiome with mostly bacterial genes.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Genomics
- Human Health
Background:
- Assessing the genetic potential of gut microbes is crucial for understanding their impact on human health.
- The human gut microbiome plays a significant role in overall well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the genetic potential of the gut microbiome in a cohort of European individuals.
- To define the minimal gut metagenome and minimal gut bacterial genome.
Main Methods:
- Illumina-based metagenomic sequencing of fecal samples from 124 European individuals.
- Assembly and characterization of 3.3 million non-redundant microbial genes.
- Analysis of 576.7 gigabases of sequence data.
Main Results:
- A comprehensive gene set of 3.3 million microbial genes was generated, significantly larger than the human gene complement.
- The majority of prevalent microbial genes in the cohort were identified, likely representing a large proportion of intestinal microbial genes.
- Over 99% of identified genes were bacterial, indicating a shared core microbiome with 1,000-1,150 prevalent bacterial species per cohort and at least 160 per individual.
Conclusions:
- The study provides a deep insight into the genetic makeup of the human gut microbiome.
- A significant overlap in microbial genes and species exists among individuals in the cohort.
- The minimal gut metagenome and bacterial genome were defined, offering a baseline for future research.
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