Data from: Global metabolic interaction network of the human gut microbiota for context-specific community-scale analysis

A system-level framework of complex microbe–microbe and host–microbe
chemical cross-talk would help elucidate the role of our gut microbiota in
health and disease. Here we report a literature-curated interspecies
network of the human gut microbiota, called NJS16. This is an extensive
data resource composed of ∼570 microbial species and 3 human cell types
metabolically interacting through >4,400 small-molecule transport
and macromolecule degradation events. Based on the contents of our
network, we develop a mathematical approach to elucidate representative
microbial and metabolic features of the gut microbial community in a given
population, such as a disease cohort. Applying this strategy to microbiome
data from type 2 diabetes patients reveals a context-specific
infrastructure of the gut microbial ecosystem, core microbial entities
with large metabolic influence, and frequently produced metabolic
compounds that might indicate relevant community metabolic processes. Our
network presents a foundation towards integrative investigations of
community-scale microbial activities within the human gut.