Is the gut microbiome the same along the intestine?
Swine mucosal and luminal microbiomes differ by gut section, with distinct diversity patterns and bile-acid/SCFA environments.
Source
Spatial Heterogeneity and Co-occurrence of Mucosal and Luminal Microbiome across Swine Intestinal Tract
What they did
Profiled luminal and mucosa-attached microbiota across swine intestinal sections and measured bile acids and SCFAs.
What they found
Communities dominated by Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes/Proteobacteria; richness and α/β-diversity differ by section and lumen vs mucosa; ileal bile acids much higher than large intestine.
The limits
What it doesn't show
Does not prove identical patterns in every human diet or disease state.
Key terms
- Mucosal microbiota
- Microbes associated with the intestinal mucus/epithelium.
- Luminal microbiota
- Microbes in gut contents.
- α/β-diversity
- Within-sample richness/evenness vs between-sample composition differences.
- Bile acids
- Host-derived detergents transformed along the gut.
- SCFA
- Short-chain fatty acids from microbial fermentation.
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Dominant phyla:
Common questions
Dominant phyla?
Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria.
Lumen vs mucosa?
Significant diversity differences despite continuity.
Bile acids where highest?
Ileum ~3× cecum/colon totals.
Host?
Swine (pig) intestine.
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