Revealing an unprecedented diversity of episymbiotic Saccharibacteria in a high-quality genome collection

Abstract The episymbiotic Candidatus Saccharibacteria is the most studied lineage of candidate phyla radiation. Living an epiparasitic lifestyle, Saccharibacteria might be associated with human mucosal diseases by modulating the structure of the oral microbiome through interactions with host bacteria. However, the knowledge of Saccharibacterial genomic diversity and the potential underlying their adaptation to a wide range of habitats remains limited. Here, we construct a high-quality genome collection of Saccharibacteria from multiple sources, providing 2041 high-quality genomes and previously unidentified taxa. The comparative genomic analysis shows the widespread metabolic defects of Saccharibacteria. Specific metabolic modules are commonly found in Saccharibacteria of different habitats, suggesting Saccharibacteria might have undergone habitat adaptation during the transition from different environments. We additionally show that Saccharibacteria account for ~1% of the Chinese oral microbiome. A preliminary analysis of rheumatoid arthritis individuals and healthy controls implies that Saccharibacteria might be associated with human systemic disease.