Fig. 2: Pathobiont taxa predict CRC metastasis-free survival.
From: Primary tumor microbiomes predict distant metastasis of colorectal cancer
A Linear discriminant analysis of the ORIEN cohort identified several distinguishing taxonomic groups that contain known CRC-related pathobionts (blue). The Enterobacteriaceae S. enterica and E. coli are enriched in distant metastases. B. fragilis and Peptostreptococcus spp. in primary tumors predicted metastasis within 5 years, while F. nucleatum associated with long-term metastasis-free survival (MFS). B Discriminating taxa in the stage-matched UIHC cohort were not the same, but overlapping taxonomic groups are highlighted in red. C Tissue RNAseq- and 16S-derived microbiome data does not distinguish pathobiont strains, so qPCR for F. nucleatum, bft1-3 from enterotoxigenic B. fragilis (ETBF), and cnf2 and clbB genes from the pks locus in colibactin-producing E. coli were performed on tumors and non-neoplastic margins. Detection rates were significantly different (Chi-squared p < 0.01) with ETBF and pks + E. coli more frequently detected in metastasizer biospecimens. F. nucleatum detection rates did not differ in the UIHC cohort by MFS group.
