Analyzing the butyrate-producing communities of vertebrates

The intestinal butyrate-producing communities of vertebrates exhibiting three distinct dietary groups - carnivorous, omnivorous and herbivorous - were analyzed. To this end, the two main terminal genes of the major butyrate synthesis pathway, namely butyrate transferase (but) and butyrate kinase (buk) were amplified and sequenced. 16S rRNA analysis served as a reference method. Overall, functional communities clustered according to diet and not host-phylogeny except for non-carnivorous Carnivora, which grouped together with other Carnivora and not with their dietary partners.