Metaproteomics reveals parallel utilization of colonic mucin glycans and dietary fibers by the human gut microbiota.

A diet lacking dietary fibers promotes the expansion of gut microbiota members that can degrade host glycans, such as those on mucins. The microbial foraging on mucin has been associated with disruptions of the gut-protective mucus layer and colonic inflammation. Yet, it remains unclear how the co-utilization of mucin and dietary fibers affects the microbiota composition and metabolic activity. Here, we used 14 dietary fibers and porcine colonic and gastric mucins to study the dynamics of mucin and dietary fiber utilization by the human fecal microbiota . Combining metaproteome and metabolites analyses revealed the central role of the genus in the utilization of complex fibers together with mucin while was the main utilizer of sole porcine colonic mucin but not gastric mucin. This study gives a broad overview of the colonic environment in response to dietary and host glycan availability.