Sequence and cultivation study of Muribaculaceae reveals novel species, host preference, and functional potential of this yet undescribed family

TLDR

Bacteria of the S24‑7 family dominate the mouse gut microbiota and are also found in other animals’ intestines. The study aimed to clarify the ecology and taxonomy of S24‑7 by integrating large‑scale 16S rRNA analysis with metagenomic and cultured species data. The authors inferred 685 species from full‑length 16S rRNA clustering and combined this with metagenomic and cultured data to investigate the family. They identified the mouse as the predominant host, reconstructed 59 molecular species (34 matching 16S clusters), isolated five strains including two novel taxa, and demonstrated that these species are functionally distinct and capable of complex carbohydrate degradation, prompting the proposal of the new family name Muribaculaceae.

Abstract

Bacteria within family S24-7 (phylum Bacteroidetes) are dominant in the mouse gut microbiota and detected in the intestine of other animals. Because they had not been cultured until recently and the family classification is still ambiguous, interaction with their host was difficult to study and confusion still exists regarding sequence data annotation.We investigated family S24-7 by combining data from large-scale 16S rRNA gene analysis and from functional and taxonomic studies of metagenomic and cultured species.A total of 685 species was inferred by full-length 16S rRNA gene sequence clustering. While many species could not be assigned ecological habitats (93,045 samples analyzed), the mouse was the most commonly identified host (average of 20% relative abundance and nine co-occurring species). Shotgun metagenomics allowed reconstruction of 59 molecular species, of which 34 were representative of the 16S rRNA gene-derived species clusters. In addition, cultivation efforts allowed isolating five strains representing three species, including two novel taxa. Genome analysis revealed that S24-7 spp. are functionally distinct from neighboring families and versatile with respect to complex carbohydrate degradation.We provide novel data on the diversity, ecology, and description of bacterial family S24-7, for which the name Muribaculaceae is proposed.