Constructing a gnotobiotic mouse model with a synthetic human gut microbiome to study host-microbe cross talk

Reproducible in vivo models are necessary to address functional aspects of the gut microbiome in various diseases. Here, we present a gnotobiotic mouse model that allows for the investigation of specific microbial functions within the microbiome. We describe how to culture 14 different well-characterized human gut species and how to verify their proper colonization in germ-free mice. This protocol can be modified to add or remove certain species of interest to investigate microbial mechanistic details in various disease models. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Desai et al. (2016).

Automated summary

The study presents a gnotobiotic mouse model to investigate microbial functions, detailing the cultivation of 14 human gut species and verification of their colonization in germ-free mice. The method can be modified to add or remove specific species of interest for studying microbial mechanistic details in different disease models.