Title |
Analysis of cultivable microbiota and diet intake pattern of the long-lived naked mole-rat
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Published in |
Gut Pathogens, May 2016
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DOI | 10.1186/s13099-016-0107-3 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Tewodros Debebe, Susanne Holtze, Michaela Morhart, Thomas Bernd Hildebrandt, Steffen Rodewald, Klaus Huse, Matthias Platzer, Dereje Wyohannes, Salomon Yirga, Alemayehu Lemma, Rene Thieme, Brigitte König, Gerd Birkenmeier |
Abstract |
A variety of microbial communities exist throughout the human and animal body. Genetics, environmental factors and long-term dietary habit contribute to shaping the composition of the gut microbiota. For this reason the study of the gut microbiota of a mammal exhibiting an extraordinary life span is of great importance. The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is a eusocial mammal known for its longevity and cancer resistance. Here we analyzed its gut microbiota by cultivating the bacteria under aerobic and anaerobic conditions and identifying their species by mass spectrometry. Altogether, 29 species of microbes were identified, predominantly belonging to Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. The most frequent species were Bacillus megaterium (45.2 %), followed by Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (19.4 %), Bacteroides ovatus, Staphylococcus sciuri and Paenibacillus spp., each with a frequency of 16.1 %. Overall, the gut of the naked mole-rat is colonized by diverse, but low numbers of cultivable microbes compared with humans and mice. The primary food plants of the rodents are rich in polyphenols and related compounds, possessing anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative as well as anti-cancer activity which may contribute to their exceptionally healthy life. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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United States | 2 | 20% |
Austria | 1 | 10% |
United Kingdom | 1 | 10% |
Unknown | 6 | 60% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 8 | 80% |
Scientists | 1 | 10% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 1 | 10% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Canada | 1 | 2% |
Unknown | 57 | 98% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 8 | 14% |
Researcher | 7 | 12% |
Student > Bachelor | 7 | 12% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 4 | 7% |
Unspecified | 4 | 7% |
Other | 13 | 22% |
Unknown | 15 | 26% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 8 | 14% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 8 | 14% |
Immunology and Microbiology | 5 | 9% |
Unspecified | 4 | 7% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 4 | 7% |
Other | 11 | 19% |
Unknown | 18 | 31% |