16S rRNA gene amplicon sequence of fecal microbiome in healthy and OVA-sensitized/challenged mice fed a diet supplemented with or without Cap or ODNcap

CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG-ODNs) constitute an attractive alternative for asthma treatment. We found that free feeding of an ODNcap (a CpG-ODN-embedded particle) -containing feed prophylactically attenuates allergic airway insults in an ovalbumin (OVA) -induced mouse model of allergic asthma. In this study, we investigated the effects of ODNcap feeding on the gut microbial community of OVA-sensitized/challenged mice. Mice were fed standard feed (Ctrl-F, n = 12), control particle (Cap) -containing feed (Cap-F, n = 12), or ODNcap-containing feed (ODNcap-F, n = 12) ad libitum for 70 days, and then were sensitized intraperitoneally and inhalation-challenged with OVA. Mice in the healthy control group (NT, n = 12) were fed standard feed ad libitum for 70 days, and were not exposed to OVA. The 16S rRNA gene (V3–V4 region) was amplified from fecal DNA and sequenced using an Illumina MiSeq instrument to generate paired-end (2 x 250 bp) sequencing data.