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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
Affiliations
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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Figures

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

    1. Degnan PH, Barry NA, Mok KC, Taga ME, Goodman AL. Human gut microbes use multiple transporters to distinguish vitamin B12 analogs and compete in the gut. Cell Host Microbe. 2014 - PMC - PubMed
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    1. Proctor LM. The Human Microbiome Project in 2011 and beyond. Cell Host Microbe. 2011;10:287–291. - PubMed

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