Microbiome diversity protects against pathogens by nutrient blocking

The human gut microbiome plays an important role in resisting colonization of the host by pathogens, but we lack the ability to predict which communities will be protective. We studied how human gut bacteria influence colonization of two major bacterial pathogens, both in vitro and in gnotobiotic mice. Whereas single species alone had negligible effects, colonization resistance greatly increased with community diversity. Moreover, this community-level resistance rested critically upon certain species being present. We explained these ecological patterns through the collective ability of resistant communities to consume nutrients that overlap with those used by the pathogen. Furthermore, we applied our findings…

• WT
  Wellcome Trust

  Awards: Z/17/Z, 209397/Z/17/Z
• EM
  European Molecular Biology Laboratory
• UO
  University of Nottingham
• SN
  Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
• BA
  Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council