Table 5.
Metabolic Pathways Differentially Regulated in the Oral Microbiome of ASD, TD, and DD Children
| KEGG pathway | χ2 | FDR | Mann–Whitney | KO | Phyla | R | FDR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy metabolism | 24.8 | 0.00047 | ASD > TD ASD > DD | K04043 | Spirochaetes | 0.44 | 9.7E-16 |
| K00415 | Ascomycota | 0.45 | 1.6E-16 | ||||
| K00415 | Cyanobacteria | 0.46 | 2.8E-17 | ||||
| Translation ribosomal structure and biogenesis | 18.2 | 0.0062 | ASD > TD ASD > DD | K01979 | Cyanobacteria | 0.47 | 2.1E-18 |
| Pyrimidine metabolism | 15.8 | 0.013 | ASD < TD ASD < DD | ||||
| Lysine degradation | 15.3 | 0.013 | ASD > TD | K04069 | Spirochaetes | 0.42 | 2.2E-14 |
| Nucleotide metabolism | 14.5 | 0.016 | ASD < TD ASD < DD | ||||
| Carbon metabolism | 12.6 | 0.030 | ASD > TD ASD > DD | ||||
| Nucleotide transport and metabolism | 12.6 | 0.030 | ASD < TD ASD < DD | K14226 | Ascomycota | 0.58 | 1.5E-30 |
| K14221 | Ascomycota | 0.53 | 4.5E-24 | ||||
Note. Nonparametric Kruskal–Wallis testing was used to interrogate 113 KEGG pathways for differences in representation among the oral microbiome in children with ASD, TD, or nonautistic DD. KEGG pathways with FDR < 0.05 are shown. A Mann–Whitney test was used as a post hoc contrast between the groups. Individual KO pathways significantly (R > 0.40) associated with individual phylogenies across samples are displayed. Abbreviations: ASD, autism spectrum disorder; DD, developmental delay; FDR, false detection rate; KEGG, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes; KO, KEGG Orthology; TD, typical development.