Transcriptome data of human gut Bacteroides. Utilization of medicinal polysaccharides by human gut Bacteroides species

Human gut Bacteroides, the prevalent primary consumers of polysaccharides, play multiple beneficial roles in human health. Learning how human gut Bacteroides utilize medicinal polysaccharides is foundational for developing polysaccharides drugs and promoting various human diseases. Here, we obtained 2,800 growth phenotypes (i.e. polysaccharides utilization spectrum (PUS)) of 28 human gut (Para)Bacteroides spp. utilizing 20 medicinal polysaccharides at 5 time points. The PUS exhibited variation in different bacteria and polysaccharides. For example, Ginseng polysaccharides support multiple Bacteroides growth, while Dendrobium polysaccharides support single Bacteroides growth. Through comparing the relationships of carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes) distribution, polysaccharides structure, and monosaccharides composition, we found that both polysaccharides structure and CAZymes distribution caused the PUS variation. Through comparative transcriptomics and genetically manipulation of Bacteroides, we identified that polysaccharide utilization locus (PUL) 34 enables Bacteroides uniformis to utilize Dendrobium polysaccharides utilization. Through sequence and structure alignment, we found the highest up-regulated GH26 in PUL34 was a multi-domain enzyme, different from phylogenetic neighboring GH26 in B. ovatus ATCC8483. The different substrates binding residues indicated the different substrates-binding properties. In summary, these results are of great significance for understanding medicinal polysaccharide utilization in the human gut, and developing novel polysaccharides-based drugs.