Bacteriophage-mediated perturbation of bacterial communities in the human gut
2022
University of California, La Jolla, USA
The aim of this study was to investigate bacteriophage communities reproducing in the human gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, a method for manipulating phage-bacteria dynamics using an in-vitro bioreactor model of the distal human gut was established. Defined communities representing a subset of bacteria in the faeces of two human individuals were created and cultivated in bioreactors. Bioreactor parameters were set to mimic the physiology of the human colon; pH was held at 7.0, the temperature at 37°C, and anaerobic conditions were maintained. Moreover, methods to purify the viromes associated with each cultured bacterial community were developed, and a system for transmitting live or heat-killed viruses between bioreactors were trialed to decipher outcomes of virus-mediated perturbation.
It was found that transmitted viromes were detectable via metagenomic sequencing against the original virome background, and that shifts in bacterial community diversity and composition were detectable in relation to time posttreatment. This study supports the use of bioreactors as a platform for studying complex bacteria-phage dynamics in-vitro.
Bacteriophage-mediated perturbation of defined bacterial communities in an in vitro model of the human gut
David Pride
Added on: 07-03-2023
[1] https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.01135-22
