Comparative Pan-Genome Analysis of Oral Veillonella Species

Abstract

The genus <i>Veillonella</i> is a common and abundant member of the oral microbiome. It includes eight species, <i>V. atypica</i>, <i>V. denticariosi</i>, <i>V. dispar</i>, <i>V. infantium</i>, <i>V. nakazawae</i>, <i>V. parvula</i>, <i>V. rogosae</i> and <i>V. tobetusensis</i>. They possess important metabolic pathways that utilize lactate as an energy source. However, the overall metabolome of these species has not been studied. To further understand the metabolic framework of <i>Veillonella</i> in the human oral microbiome, we conducted a comparative pan-genome analysis of the eight species of oral <i>Veillonella</i>. Analysis of the oral <i>Veillonella</i> pan-genome revealed features based on KEGG pathway information to adapt to the oral environment. We found that the fructose metabolic pathway was conserved in all oral <i>Veillonella</i> species, and oral <i>Veillonella</i> have conserved pathways that utilize carbohydrates other than lactate as an energy source. This discovery may help to better understand the metabolic network among oral microbiomes and will provide guidance for the design of future <i>in silico</i> and <i>in vitro</i> studies.