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Comparative Analysis of Corrinoid Profiles across Host-Associated and Environmental Samples
Zachary F Hallberg1, Erica C Seth1, Kersh Thevasundaram2
1Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.
Biochemistry
|August 29, 2022
Summary
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is vital for humans but rare in many microbial environments. Understanding diverse cobamide profiles is key to analyzing microbial metabolism and nutrient utilization in different habitats.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Biochemistry
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Vitamin B12, a form of cobalamin, is crucial for human metabolism.
- Cobalamin is part of the cobamide family, exclusively produced by prokaryotes.
- Cobamides are shared nutrients, as many microbes lack de novo synthesis pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the distribution and abundance of different cobamides in various environments.
- To understand the role of cobamides in microbial community function and metabolism.
- To compare cobamide profiles across different host-associated and environmental samples.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of cobamide abundances in diverse environmental and host-associated samples.
- Comparative profiling of cobamides in mammalian gastrointestinal tracts, wood-feeding insects, aquatic, soil, and groundwater samples.
Main Results:
- Cobalamin, though vital for humans, is surprisingly rare in many microbial habitats.
- Cobamide profiles vary significantly between host-associated environments (e.g., gut vs. feces) and different insect/mammalian hosts.
- Environmental samples (aquatic, soil, groundwater) exhibit highly variable cobamide compositions.
Conclusions:
- Cobalamin's prevalence in human health contrasts with its scarcity in many microbial ecosystems.
- Microbial metabolic interactions and nutrient utilization are influenced by specific cobamide availability.
- Using environment-specific cobamides, rather than solely cobalamin, may offer deeper insights into microbiome functions.
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