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Guided Protocol for Fecal Microbial Characterization by 16S rRNA-Amplicon Sequencing
Published on: March 19, 2018
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Exploring clade differentiation of the Faecalibacterium prausnitzii complex
Marco Fabbrini1, Marco Candela2, Silvia Turroni2
1Microbiomics Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna 40138, Italy.
Iscience
|November 24, 2022
Summary
Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, a key gut microbe, shows distinct evolutionary paths. These divergence pressures and functional differences may explain its varying abundance in human populations.
Area of Science:
- Microbiome research
- Evolutionary biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Faecalibacterium prausnitzii is a dominant, health-promoting gut bacterium.
- This microbe is prone to decreases in dysbiosis.
- Understanding its evolutionary dynamics is crucial for gut health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the divergence pressures acting on Faecalibacterium prausnitzii clades globally.
- To identify clade-specific functional patterns and ecological adaptations.
Main Methods:
- Identified five Faecalibacterium prausnitzii clades from 55 public genomes and 92 metagenome-assembled genomes.
- Constructed and validated divergence rate indices to compare clades and genes.
- Analyzed clade-specific diverging functionalities.
Main Results:
- Discovered distinct patterns of diverging functionalities across F. prausnitzii clades.
- These patterns suggest varied ecological strategies, including dispersion and substrate utilization.
- Identified differences in divergence rates among clades.
Conclusions:
- Clade-specific functional divergence likely influences the ecological roles of F. prausnitzii.
- These adaptations may contribute to the observed variations in F. prausnitzii divergence rates within human populations.
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