Gut Microbiota from Twins Discordant for Obesity Modulate Metabolism in Mice

Overview

Journal Science

Specialty Science

Date 2013 Sep 7

PMID 24009397

Citations 1761

Authors

Vanessa K Ridaura

Jeremiah J Faith

Federico E Rey

Jiye Cheng

Alexis E Duncan

Andrew L Kau

Nicholas W Griffin

Vincent Lombard

Bernard Henrissat

James R Bain

Michael J Muehlbauer

Olga Ilkayeva

Clay F Semenkovich

Katsuhiko Funai

David K Hayashi

Barbara J Lyle

Margaret C Martini

Luke K Ursell

Jose C Clemente

William Van Treuren

William A Walters

Rob Knight

Christopher B Newgard

Andrew C Heath

Jeffrey I Gordon

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The role of specific gut microbes in shaping body composition remains unclear. We transplanted fecal microbiota from adult female twin pairs discordant for obesity into germ-free mice fed low-fat mouse chow, as well as diets representing different levels of saturated fat and fruit and vegetable consumption typical of the U.S. diet. Increased total body and fat mass, as well as obesity-associated metabolic phenotypes, were transmissible with uncultured fecal communities and with their corresponding fecal bacterial culture collections. Cohousing mice harboring an obese twin's microbiota (Ob) with mice containing the lean co-twin's microbiota (Ln) prevented the development of increased body mass and obesity-associated metabolic phenotypes in Ob cage mates. Rescue correlated with invasion of specific members of Bacteroidetes from the Ln microbiota into Ob microbiota and was diet-dependent. These findings reveal transmissible, rapid, and modifiable effects of diet-by-microbiota interactions.

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