Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ch.M.Falsens vei 1, 1432, Aas, Norway.
Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oluf Thesens vei 6, 1433, Aas, Norway.
Commun Biol. 2022 May 11;5(1):444. doi: 10.1038/s42003-022-03383-z.
The study of specific glycan uptake and metabolism is an effective tool in aiding with the continued unravelling of the complexities in the human gut microbiome. To this aim fluorescent labelling of glycans may provide a powerful route towards this target. Here, we successfully used the fluorescent label 2-aminobenzamide (2-AB) to monitor and study microbial degradation of labelled glycans. Both single strain and co-cultured fermentations of microbes from the common human-gut derived Bacteroides genus, are able to grow when supplemented with 2-AB labelled glycans of different monosaccharide composition, degrees of acetylation and polymerization. Utilizing a multifaceted approach that combines chromatography, mass spectrometry, microscopy and flow cytometry techniques, it is possible to better understand the metabolism of labelled glycans in both supernatants and at a single cell level. We envisage this combination of complementary techniques will help further the understanding of substrate specificity and the role it plays within microbial communities.
研究特定糖的摄取和代谢是帮助我们进一步了解人类肠道微生物组复杂性的有效工具。为此，糖的荧光标记可能为实现这一目标提供了一条有力途径。在这里，我们成功地使用荧光标记物 2-氨基苯甲酰胺（2-AB）来监测和研究微生物对标记糖的降解。来自常见的人类肠道衍生拟杆菌属的单一菌株和共培养发酵微生物，在添加不同单糖组成、乙酰化程度和聚合度的 2-AB 标记聚糖时，都能够生长。利用结合色谱、质谱、显微镜和流式细胞术技术的多方面方法，可以更好地了解标记聚糖在上清液和单细胞水平上的代谢情况。我们设想，这种互补技术的结合将有助于进一步了解底物特异性及其在微生物群落中的作用。
