Fig. 4.

Abundance of bacteria affected by fasting is associated with changes in health biomarkers. The abundance of bacterial species identified by 16S rRNA sequencing was used as a predictor in linear mixed models to understand if they associate with health biomarkers. (A) Statistically significant associations were found between markers of the energy metabolism switch and fasting-affected species. A total of five biochemical parameters are displayed along the bacteria associated with their variations. All arrows indicate statistically significant associations (e.g. a decrease in glucose levels was associated with a decrease in Lachnospiraceae abundance). (B) The abundance in Lachnospiraceae Coprococcus_2 eutactus (SV_299), Fusicatenibacter saccharivorans (SV_1010) and Lachnospira pectinoschiza (SV_721) were consistently positively associated with plasma glucose levels, and negatively associated with branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) levels. By opposition, the Bacteroidaceae Bacteroides dorei/fragilis (SV_96) and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (SV_600), as well as Bilophila wadsworthia, presented the opposite trend and were negatively associated with plasma glucose levels, and positively associated with BCAA levels. EDN, eosinophil-derived neurotoxin; sIgA, secretory IgA.