Abstract
Bile is a biological fluid synthesized in the liver, stored and concentrated in the gall bladder (interdigestive), and released into the duodenum after food intake. The microbial populations of different parts of mammal's gastrointestinal tract (stomach, small and large intestine) have been extensively studied; however, the characterization of bile microbiota had not been tackled until now. We have studied, by culture-dependent techniques and a 16S rRNA gene-based analysis, the microbiota present in the bile, gall bladder mucus, and biopsies of healthy sows. Also, we have identified the most abundant bacterial proteins in the bile samples. Our data show that the gall bladder ecosystem is mainly populated by members of the phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. Furthermore, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) allowed us to visualize the presence of individual bacteria of different morphological types, in close association with either the epithelium or the erythrocytes, or inside the epithelial cells. Our work has generated new knowledge of bile microbial profiles and functions and might provide the basis for future studies on the relationship between bile microbiota, gut microbiota, and health.
Highlights
The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of humans and other mammals harbors a complex microbiota that confers immunological, metabolic, and neurological benefits to the host (B€ackhed et al 2005; Gill et al 2006; Xu et al 2007; Collins et al 2012)
MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
In addition seven other species were isolated from the bile sample: Enterococcus faecalis, Kocuria rhizophila, Macrococcus caseolyticus, Bacillus sporothermodurans, Lactobacillus amylovorus, Lactobacillus reuteri, and Escherichia coli
Summary
The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of humans and other mammals harbors a complex microbiota that confers immunological, metabolic, and neurological benefits to the host (B€ackhed et al 2005; Gill et al 2006; Xu et al 2007; Collins et al 2012). Within the GIT, most of the studies regarding bacterial diversity and functions have been focused on the colon because of the easy access to samples (either feces or biopsies) and the very high bacterial abundance in such location (~1012 bacteria per gram of colon content). The characterization of the microbiota of other a 2014 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
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