Metagenome-assembled genomes

<b>Project:</b> "In vitro modelling of the structure and metabolism of the porcine caecal microbiota in response to β-mannan exposure" (FigShare link).<b>Item description:</b> Metagenome-assembled genomes from a study using <i>in vitro</i> fermentation as a tool to investigate complex microbial communities extracted from the caecum of pigs, and their response to both <i>in vivo</i> and <i>in vitro</i> access to a microbiota-directed β-mannan fibre.<b>Abstract:</b> The intestinal microbiota plays a pivotal role in host health. Prebiotics and microbiota-directed fibres that target health-promoting microbes can potentially enhance the beneficial effects of the microbiota. β-mannans are fibres that may be utilised by a selection of beneficial bacteria, such as <i>Roseburia</i>, <i>Faecalibacterium</i>, and <i>Prevotella</i> species. Here, we conducted an <i>in vitro</i> fermentation experiment using porcine caecal material from an <i>in vivo</i> feeding trial with the inclusion of acetylated galactoglucomannan (AcGGM) from Norway spruce. We validated the effect of AcGGM on population abundance changes in the <i>in vitro</i> microbial community by comparison to an <i>in vivo</i> community. Functional data were obtained using metatranscriptomics to investigate gene expression of mannan-degrading enzymes during growth on AcGGM, and measurements of produced short-chain fatty acids. The <i>in vitro</i> fermentation identified several AcGGM-utilising taxa that significantly increased in abundance when grown on the substrate, while the same taxa were not observed to be more abundant in AcGGM-fed pigs. These taxa included several species with upregulated genes for mannan degradation that were previously unknown to utilise β-mannan.