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Health implications
Firmicutes make up the largest portion of the mouse and human gut microbiome. The division Firmicutes as part of the gut flora has been shown to be involved in energy resorption, and potentially related to the development of diabetes and obesity. Within the gut of healthy human adults, the most abundant bacterium Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (F. prausnitzii), which makes up 5% of the total gut microbiome, is a member of the Firmicutes phylum. This species is directly associated with reduced low-grade inflammation in obesity. F. prausnitzii has been been found in higher levels within the guts of obese children than in non-obese children. Also, in multiple studies a higher abundance of Firmicutes has been found in obese individuals than in lean controls. A higher level of Lactobacillus (of the Firmicutes phylum) has been found in obese patients and in one study, obese patients put on weight loss diets showed a reduced amount of Firmicutes within their guts. Diet changes in mice has also been shown to promote changes in Firmicutes abundance. A higher relative abundance of Firmicutes was seen in mice that were fed a western diet (high fat/high sugar) than in mice fed a standard low fat/ high polysaccharide diet. The higher amount of Firmicutes was also linked to more adiposity and body weight within mice. Specifically, within obese mice, the class Mollicutes (within the Firmicutes phylum) was the most common. When the microbiota of obese mice with this higher Firmicutes abundance was transplanted into the guts of germ-free mice, the germ-free mice gained a significant amount of fat as compared to those transplanted with the microbiota of lean mice with lower Firmicutes abundance.