Problem: We discussed in class a study that directly addressed whether the interindividual variation in the gut microbiota is primarily driven by host genetics or by extrinsic factors like dietary intake. The authors selected 5 different inbred mice, 4 strains of mice with deficiencies in the immune response, and 200 outbred mice. They divided the mice in two groups. During a 15-week period, they subjected one group to a high-fat, high-sugar diet and the second group to a low-fat, high-plant-polysaccharide diet. This study showed that:
Group of answer choices
- A high-fat, high sugar diet altered the gut microbiota of mice with immune deficiencies only, while the rest of the mice were unaffected
- A high-fat, high sugar diet altered the gut microbiota independently from the host genotype
- A high-fat, high sugar diet altered the gut microbiota of inbred mice only, while outbred mice were unaffected
- Genetic factors, not diet, play a dominant role in shaping the composition of the gut microbiota
- Diet perturbations do not significantly modify the composition of the gut microbiota