Fecal and epithelial microbiota in Apc(Min/+) and wild-type littermates

The origins of dysbiosis (altered microbiota composition) remain poorly understood, especially in genetically susceptible hosts. Our previous study has demonstrated that the presence of intraepithelial bacteria as a consequence of intestinal barrier dysfunction shaped dysbiotic microbiota that contributed to colitis development.

Here, we evaluated the fecal and epithelial microbiota in age-matched Apc(Min/+) and wild-type littermates. The fecal samples and purified epithelial cells from intestinal segments (ileum and colon) were collected at various time points for analysis of microbiota composition by PacBio full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing.