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Comment
. 2014 Jan 15;15(1):5-6.
doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2013.12.011.

Gut microbes take their vitamins

Erica D Sonnenburg  1 , Justin L Sonnenburg  2
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Comment

Gut microbes take their vitamins

Erica D Sonnenburg et al. Cell Host Microbe. .

Abstract

The dense microbial ecosystem within the gut is connected through a complex web of metabolic interactions. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Degnan et al. (2014) establish the importance of different vitamin B12 transporters that help a Bacteroides species acquire vitamins from the environment to maintain a competitive edge.

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Figure 1
Figure 1
Corrinoid transporters determine Bacteroides fitness in an environment-dependent manner Expressing the correct member of the three BtuB outer-membrane transporters, which has specificity matching the corrinoid present in the gut, provides B. thetaiotaomicron with a competitive advantage over mutants expressing a transporter not well matched to the environment.
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References

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