You landed a coveted summer internship in Dr. Gaunt\'s laboratory. Last summer l

Question

You landed a coveted summer internship in Dr. Gaunt's laboratory. Last summer laboratory identified an isolated population of native south americans that still practice an ancient method of subsistence farming. Despite a calorie rich diet that is notable for an abundance of plant derived lipids, they are remarkably thin and have very high metabolic rates (i.e., less energy efficient). You discover their microbiome is significantly enriched in Bacteroidetes, with a unique abundance of bacteria from the genus Prevotella and Xylanibacter. Moreover, there is a striking depletion in Firmicutes. When you inoculate mice with these strains of Prevotella and Xylanibacter they lose weight and acquire a higher metabolic rate. But the benefit is only transient. You discover this correlates with dramatic changes in the microbiome of these mice. Dr. Gaunt would like you to detail your hypothesis for what has happened to your study mice.

Explanation / Answer

The gut microbiota might be altered in these mice since, the Prevotella and Xylanibacter will be coevolved with other gut microbiome called Enterobacteriaceae, such as Shigella and Escherichia flora might be significantly reduced with this diet. The Prevotella and Xylanibacter are known to have a set of genes for cellulose and xylan hydrolysis and evolved in starch, fiber, and polysaccharide rich diet individual (here mice). It means that their diet is scarce in fat and animal protein. They would contain short chain fatty acids (SCFAs for addition energy) in these mice. However, as we know that the fiber rich diet reduce the intestinal absorption and increase the fecal matter out put. It allow them to maximize energy intake but protect them from inflammations and noninfectious colonic diseases. It is usually recommended for obese people to lose their excess weight. So that these mice have weight loss with this diet. The ratio of (F/B) Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes (Prevotella and Xylanibacter) determines the obese and lean body, and this proportion usually less in weight loss mice with starch and fiber rich diet. Increase in F/B ratio is an indictor of obesity.   

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