Cited by 178Gut microbiota and healthOral microbiology and periodontitis researchProbiotics and Fermented Foods

Potential and active functions in the gut microbiota of a healthy human cohort

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Tanca, Alessandro, Abbondio, Marcello, Palomba, Antonio, Fraumene, Cristina, Manghina, Valeria, Cucca, Francesco, Fiorillo, Edoardo, Uzzau, Sergio·2017·Microbiome

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The study of the gut microbiota (GM) is rapidly moving towards its functional characterization by means of shotgun meta-omics. In this context, there is still no consensus on which microbial functions are consistently and constitutively expressed in the human gut in physiological conditions. Here, we selected a cohort of 15 healthy subjects from a native and highly monitored Sardinian population and analyzed their GMs using shotgun metaproteomics, with the aim of investigating GM functions actually expressed in a healthy human population. In addition, shotgun metagenomics was employed to reveal GM functional potential and to compare metagenome and metaproteome profiles in a combined taxonomic and functional fashion. RESULTS: Metagenomic and metaproteomic data concerning the taxonomic structure of the GM under study were globally comparable. On the contrary, a considerable divergence between genetic potential and functional activity of the human healthy GM was observed, with the metaproteome displaying a higher plasticity, compared to the lower inter-individual variability of metagenome profiles. The taxon-specific contribution to functional activities and metabolic tasks was also examined, giving insights into the peculiar role of several GM members in carbohydrate metabolism (including polysaccharide degradation, glycan transport, glycolysis, and short-chain fatty acid production). Noteworthy, Firmicutes-driven butyrogenesis (mainly due to Faecalibacterium spp.) was shown to be the metabolic activity with the highest expression rate and the lowest inter-individual variability in the study cohort, in line with the previously reported importance of the biosynthesis of this microbial product for the gut homeostasis. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide detailed and taxon-specific information regarding functions and pathways actively working in a healthy GM. The reported discrepancy between expressed functions and functional potential suggests that caution should be used before drawing functional conclusions from metagenomic data, further supporting metaproteomics as a fundamental approach to characterize the human GM metabolic functions and activities.

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  • Actual metabolic activity of the gut microbiome may diverge from its functional potential.

    “actual metabolic activity of the gut microbiome may diverge from its functional potential (Tanca et al., 2017).”

    From Gut reactions: Breaking down xenobiotic–microbiome interactions (2019) · cites this paper as Tanca et al., 2017

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Authors
Tanca, A., Abbondio, M., Palomba, A., Fraumene, C., Manghina, V., Cucca, F., Fiorillo, E., & Uzzau, S.
Affiliations
  • University of Sassari (IT)
  • Institute of Genetic and Biomedical Research (IT)
Corresponding author
Uzzau, Sergio
Venue
Microbiome
Published
2017-07-14
Volume
5
Issue
1
Pages
79-79
ISSN
2049-2618 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2735061408
Cited by
172
References
67
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 37 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 3
FWCI
7.60
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Microbiome (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UnissResearch (Università degli Studi di Sassari) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Sardegna Ricerche (ex art. 26 LR 37/98 - 2014)
  • Università degli Studi di Sassari (Doctoral Fellowships from the International PhD Course in Life Sciences and Biotechnologies)
  • National Institute on Aging (N01-AG-1-2109 and HHSN271201100005C)
  • Fondazione Banco di Sardegna (U1301.2015/AI.1157.BE)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
  • Health Sciences › Dentistry › Periodontics › Oral microbiology and periodontitis research
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Probiotics and Fermented Foods
Keywords
gut microbiota, interindividual variability, carbohydrate metabolism, polysaccharide degradation, glycolysis, short-chain fatty acids, Faecalibacterium, Firmicutes, Sardinian population, intestinal homeostasis
MeSH terms
Bacillota, Firmicutes, Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Faecalibacterium, Adult, Bacteria, Fatty Acids, Volatile, Female, Homeostasis, Humans, Italy, Male, Middle Aged, Cohort Studies, Proteomics, Carbohydrate Metabolism, Biosynthetic Pathways, Metagenome, Young Adult, Metagenomics, Healthy Volunteers

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