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Glycan complexity dictates microbial resource allocation in the large intestine
DOI:
10.1038/ncomms8481
PMID:
26112186
Authors:
Artur
Rogowski
(Newcastle University)
,
Jonathon A.
Briggs
(Newcastle University)
,
Jennifer C.
Mortimer
(University of Cambridge)
,
Theodora
Tryfona
(University of Cambridge)
,
Nicolas
Terrapon
(Université Aix-Marseille)
,
Elisabeth C.
Lowe
(Newcastle University)
,
Arnaud
Baslé
(Newcastle University)
,
Carl
Morland
(Newcastle University)
,
Alison M.
Day
(Newcastle University)
,
Hongjun
Zheng
(Newcastle University)
,
Theresa E.
Rogers
(University of Michigan Medical School)
,
Paul
Thompson
(Newcastle University)
,
Alastair R.
Hawkins
(Newcastle University)
,
Madhav P.
Yadav
(Eastern Regional Research Center)
,
Bernard
Henrissat
(Université Aix-Marseille)
,
Eric C.
Martens
(University of Michigan Medical School)
,
Paul
Dupree
(University of Cambridge)
,
Harry J.
Gilbert
(Newcastle University)
,
David N.
Bolam
(Newcastle University)
Co-authored by industrial partner:
No
Type:
Journal Paper
Journal:
Nature Communications
, VOL 6
, PAGES 7481
State:
Published (Approved)
Published:
June 2015

Abstract: The structure of the human gut microbiota is controlled primarily through the degradation of complex dietary carbohydrates, but the extent to which carbohydrate breakdown products are shared between members of the microbiota is unclear. We show here, using xylan as a model, that sharing the breakdown products of complex carbohydrates by key members of the microbiota, such as Bacteroides ovatus, is dependent on the complexity of the target glycan. Characterization of the extensive xylan degrading apparatus expressed by B. ovatus reveals that the breakdown of the polysaccharide by the human gut microbiota is significantly more complex than previous models suggested, which were based on the deconstruction of xylans containing limited monosaccharide side chains. Our report presents a highly complex and dynamic xylan degrading apparatus that is fine-tuned to recognize the different forms of the polysaccharide presented to the human gut microbiota.
Journal Keywords: Biological Sciences; Biochemistry; Microbiology
Diamond Keywords: Gut Microbiota; Bacteria; Enzymes
Subject Areas:
Biology and Bio-materials,
Chemistry
Instruments:
I02-Macromolecular Crystallography
Added On:
02/11/2015 11:39
Documents:
ncomms8481.pdf
Discipline Tags:
Health & Wellbeing
Biochemistry
Chemistry
Structural biology
Life Sciences & Biotech
Technical Tags:
Diffraction
Macromolecular Crystallography (MX)