2. Academic Validation
  3. Human gut Bacteroidetes can utilize yeast mannan through a selfish mechanism

Human gut Bacteroidetes can utilize yeast mannan through a selfish mechanism

  • Nature. 2015 Jan 8;517(7533):165-169. doi: 10.1038/nature13995.
Fiona Cuskin # 1 2,  Elisabeth C Lowe # 1,  Max J Temple # 1,  Yanping Zhu 1 2,  Elizabeth Cameron 3,  Nicholas A Pudlo 3,  Nathan T Porter 3,  Karthik Urs 3,  Andrew J Thompson 4,  Alan Cartmell 5,  Artur Rogowski 1,  Brian S Hamilton 6,  Rui Chen 6,  Thomas J Tolbert 6,  Kathleen Piens 7,  Debby Bracke 7,  Wouter Vervecken 7,  Zalihe Hakki 5,  Gaetano Speciale 5,  Jose L Munōz-Munōz 1,  Andrew Day 1,  Maria J Peña 2,  Richard McLean 8,  Michael D Suits 9,  Alisdair B Boraston 9,  Todd Atherly 10,  Cherie J Ziemer 10,  Spencer J Williams 5,  Gideon J Davies 4,  D Wade Abbott 2 8,  Eric C Martens 3,  Harry J Gilbert 1 2
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K.
  • 2 Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, The University of Georgia, 315 Riverbend Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
  • 3 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
  • 4 Department of Chemistry, University of York, York YO10 5DD, U.K.
  • 5 School of Chemistry and Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
  • 6 Dept. of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Kansas School of Pharmacy, 2095 Constant Ave, Lawrence, KS 66047, USA.
  • 7 Oxyrane, Ghent, Belgium.
  • 8 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research Centre, Lethbridge, AB, Canada.
  • 9 Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
  • 10 USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, Ames, Iowa, USA.
  • # Contributed equally.
PMID: 25567280 DOI: 10.1038/nature13995
Abstract

Yeasts, which have been a component of the human diet for at least 7,000 years, possess an elaborate cell wall α-mannan. The influence of yeast mannan on the ecology of the human microbiota is unknown. Here we show that yeast α-mannan is a viable food source for the Gram-negative bacterium Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, a dominant member of the microbiota. Detailed biochemical analysis and targeted gene disruption studies support a model whereby limited cleavage of α-mannan on the surface generates large oligosaccharides that are subsequently depolymerized to mannose by the action of periplasmic Enzymes. Co-culturing studies showed that metabolism of yeast mannan by B. thetaiotaomicron presents a 'selfish' model for the catabolism of this difficult to breakdown polysaccharide. Genomic comparison with B. thetaiotaomicron in conjunction with Cell Culture studies show that a cohort of highly successful members of the microbiota has evolved to consume sterically-restricted yeast glycans, an adaptation that may reflect the incorporation of eukaryotic Microorganisms into the human diet.

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