Effects of Dietary Fiber
on the Feline Gastrointestinal
Metagenome
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Abstract
Four healthy adult cats were used in a crossover design
to determine
phylogeny and metabolic functional capacity of the cat’s gastrointestinal
microbiota using a metagenomic approach. Healthy adult cats (1.7 years
old) were fed diets containing 4% cellulose, fructooligosaccharides
(FOS), or pectin for 30 d, at which time fresh fecal samples were
collected. Fecal DNA samples from each cat consuming each diet were
subjected to 454 pyrosequencing. Dominant phyla determined using two
independent databases (MG-RAST and IMG/M) included Firmicutes (mean
= 36.3 and 49.8%, respectively), Bacteroidetes (mean = 36.1 and 24.1%,
respectively), and Proteobacteria (mean = 12.4 and 11.1%, respectively).
Primary functional categories as determined by KEGG were associated
with carbohydrates, clustering-based subsystems, protein metabolism,
and amino acids and derivatives. Primary functional categories as
determined by COG were associated with amino acid metabolism and transport,
general function prediction only, and carbohydrate transport and metabolism.
Analysis of carbohydrate-active enzymes revealed modifications in
several glycoside hydrolases, glycosyl transferases, and carbohydrate-binding
molecules with FOS and pectin consumption. While the cat is an obligate
carnivore, its gut microbiome is similar regarding microbial phylogeny
and gene content to omnivores