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Paul B. Eckburg,1*Elisabeth M. Bik,2Charles N. Bernstein,3Elizabeth Purdom,4Les Dethlefsen,2Michael Sargent,3Steven R. Gill,5Karen E. Nelson,5David A. Relman1,2,6*
The human endogenous intestinal microflora is an essential "organ"in providing nourishment, regulating epithelial development,and instructing innate immunity; yet, surprisingly, basic featuresremain poorly described. We examined 13,355 prokaryotic ribosomalRNA gene sequences from multiple colonic mucosal sites and fecesof healthy subjects to improve our understanding of gut microbialdiversity. A majority of the bacterial sequences correspondedto uncultivated species and novel microorganisms. We discoveredsignificant intersubject variability and differences betweenstool and mucosa community composition. Characterization ofthis immensely diverse ecosystem is the first step in elucidatingits role in health and disease.
1 Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Room S-169, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford CA 94305–5107, USA. 2 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, 299 Campus Drive, Room D300, Fairchild Science Building, Stanford CA 94305–5124, USA. 3 Section of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Manitoba, MS 779-820 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3A 1R9, Canada. 4 Department of Statistics, Sequoia Hall, 390 Serra Mall, Stanford University, Stanford CA 94305, USA. 5 The Institute for Genomic Research, 9712 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD 20850, USA. 6 Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, 3801 Miranda Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: eckburg1{at}stanford.edu (P.B.E.); relman{at}stanford.edu (D.A.R.)
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In Science Magazine
LETTERS
Volker Mai, O. Colin Stine, J. Glenn Morris Jr.;, Paul B. Eckburg, Elisabeth M. Bik, Charles N. Bernstein, Les Dethlefsen, Elizabeth Purdom, Michael Sargent, Steven R. Gill, Karen E. Nelson, and David A. Relman (18 November 2005) Science310 (5751), 1118.
[DOI: 10.1126/science.310.5751.1118] |Full Text »|PDF »
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