Figure 4
Cln2R207X and WT mice have greatly different gut microbiota, and acidified drinking water causes significant alteration in the global gut microbiota composition of Cln2R207X mice only. A group of Cln2R207X and WT male mice was given acidified drinking water from 21 days of age (weaning). Another group of Cln2R207X and WT male mice were kept on non-acidified drinking water. At 3 months of age, fecal pellets were collected for the analysis of the gut microbiota via 16S rRNA gene sequencing. (a) Alpha diversity, the microbial diversity within a sample, was quantified using the Chao 1 bias-corrected diversity index. Alpha diversity was similar in Cln2R207X and WT mice receiving non-acidified drinking water, and acidified water did not cause statistically significant changes in either genotype. Alpha diversities in Cln2R207X and WT mice receiving acidified drinking water, however, were close to be different with a p-value of 0.05. Box and whisker plot: each black dot represents a mouse (n = 6 mice). To determine the statistical significance for differences in alpha diversity, a Kruskal–Wallis test with Mann–Whitney U pairwise comparison was used. (b) The global gut microbiota compositions in the different groups (beta diversity) were compared by principal coordinate (PCo) analysis. Beta diversity in Cln2R207X mice was significantly different from that in WT mice on both types of drinking water (p = 0.00216 and 0.02814). While acidified drinking water did not change the bacterial community structure in WT mice (p = 0.17749), it markedly altered the global microbiota composition in Cln2R207X mice (p = 0.01082). Each symbol represents an individual mouse (n = 6 mice in each group). A PERMANOVA analysis was used to determine the statistical significance in beta diversity (Bray–Curtis).
