Using the acute dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis model, studies have demonstrated that intestinal inflammation is accompanied by major changes in the composition of the intestinal microbiota. Only little is known about the microbial changes and more importantly their functional impact in the chronic DSS colitis model. We used a refined model of chronic DSS-induced colitis that reflects typical symptoms of the human disease without detrimental weight loss usually observed in DSS models. We sampled cecum and colon content as well as colon mucus from healthy and diseased mouse cohorts ( n = 12) and applied 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metaproteomics. An increase of Prevotella sp. in both colon content and mucus was observed. Functional differences were observed between sample types demonstrating the importance of separately sampling lumen content and mucus. The abundance of Desulfovibrio, a sulfate-reducing bacterium, was positively associated with the carbon metabolism. Lachnoclostridium was positively correlated to both vitamin B6 and tryptophan metabolism. In summary, functional changes in the distal colon caused by DSS treatment were more pronounced in the mucus-associated microbiota than in the microbiota present in the distal colon content.
Keywords: colitis; dextran sulfate sodium (DSS); metaproteomics; microbiota; mouse model.