Microbiome datasets are compositional: and this is not optional

Datasets collected by high-throughput sequencing (HTS) of 16S rRNA gene amplimers, metagenomes or metatranscriptomes are commonplace and being used to study human disease states, ecological differences between sites, and the built environment. There is increasing awareness that microbiome datasets g...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Gloor, Gregory B., Macklaim, Jean M., Pawlowsky Glahn, Vera, Egozcue Rubí, Juan José|||0000-0002-5144-4483
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2017
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
Repositorio:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/111278
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2117/111278
https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2017.02224
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Microbiota
Bayesian statistical decision theory
microbiota
compositional data
high-throughput sequencing
correlation
Bayesian estimation
count normalization
relative abundance
Aparell digestiu
Estadística aplicada -- Biologia
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Ciències de la salut::Medicina::Dietètica i nutrició
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Matemàtiques i estadística::Estadística aplicada
Descripción
Sumario:Datasets collected by high-throughput sequencing (HTS) of 16S rRNA gene amplimers, metagenomes or metatranscriptomes are commonplace and being used to study human disease states, ecological differences between sites, and the built environment. There is increasing awareness that microbiome datasets generated by HTS are compositional because they have an arbitrary total imposed by the instrument. However, many investigators are either unaware of this or assume specific properties of the compositional data. The purpose of this review is to alert investigators to the dangers inherent in ignoring the compositional nature of the data, and point out that HTS datasets derived from microbiome studies can and should be treated as compositions at all stages of analysis. We briefly introduce compositional data, illustrate the pathologies that occur when compositional data are analyzed inappropriately, and finally give guidance and point to resources and examples for the analysis of microbiome datasets using compositional data analysis.