"We have analyzed 5,088 bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences from the distal intestinal (cecal) microbiota of genetically obese ob/ob mice, lean ob/+ and wild-type siblings, and their ob/+ mothers, all fed the same polysaccharide-rich diet.

Although the majority of mouse gut species are unique, the mouse and human microbiota(s) are similar at the division (superkingdom) level, with Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes dominating," scientists in the U.S. report.

"Microbial-community composition is inherited from mothers," said Ruth E. Ley and collaborators in Washington University and University of Colorado-Boulder. "However, compared with lean mice and regardless of kinship, ob/ob animals have a 50% reduction in the abundance of Bacteroidetes and a proportional increase in Firmicutes. These changes, which are division-wide, indicate that, in this model, obesity affects the diversity of the gut microbiota and suggest that intentional manipulation of community structure may be useful for regulating energy balance in obese individuals."

Ley and her coauthors published their study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (“Obesity Alters Gut Microbial Ecology.” Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2005;102(31):11070-11075).

For additional information, contact Jeffrey I. Gordon, Center for Genomes Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108.

Source: Genetics & Environmental Law Weekly