Obesity changes the human gut mycobiome

• DOI: 10.1038/srep14600
• Publication Date: 2015-10-12T08:51:42Z
• Authors: M. Mar Rodríguez; Daniel Pérez; Felipe Javier Chaves; Eduardo Esteve; Pablo Marin-Garcia; Gemma Xifra; Joan Vendrell; Mariona Jové; Reinald Pamplona; Wifredo Ricart; Manuel Portero-Otin; Matilde R. Chacón; José Manuel Ferná...
• Keywords: Adult; Blood Glucose; Male; Intestines -- Microbiology; Article; Glutamates; Overweight persons; Humans; Obesity; Mycological Typing Techniques; Caproates; Candida; 2. Zero hunger; Cholesterol, HDL; 1. No poverty; Intestins -- Malalties; Fasting; Middle Aged; Persones obeses; 6. Clean water; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; 3. Good health; Intestines; Intestins -- Microbiologia; Aspergillus; Adipose Tissue; Mucor; Case-Control Studies; DNA, Intergenic; Female; Intestines -- Diseases

AbstractThe human intestine is home to a diverse range of bacterial and fungal species, forming an ecological community that contributes to normal physiology and disease susceptibility. Here, the fungal microbiota (mycobiome) in obese and non-obese subjects was characterized using Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS)-based sequencing. The results demonstrate that obese patients could be discriminated by their specific fungal composition, which also distinguished metabolically “healthy” from “unhealthy” obesity. Clusters according to genus abundance co-segregated with body fatness, fasting triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol. A preliminary link to metabolites such as hexadecanedioic acid, caproic acid and N-acetyl-L-glutamic acid was also found.Mucor racemosusandM. fuscuswere the species more represented in non-obese subjects compared to obese counterparts. Interestingly, the decreased relative abundance of theMucorgenus in obese subjects was reversible upon weight loss. Collectively, these findings suggest that manipulation of gut mycobiome communities might be a novel target in the treatment of obesity.