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Fig. 5. | Microbiome

Fig. 5.

From: Alternative stable states in the intestinal ecosystem: proof of concept in a rat model and a perspective of therapeutic implications

Fig. 5.

Model of the host-microbiota ecosystem. Microbiota status at T68 plotted against host inflammatory status at T75 (n = 58). The blue tentative Z-shape overlay characterizes alternative microbiota states (cf Fig. 1a). Continuous parts of the curve represent the cores of the alternative states, and are drawn in correspondence with the means of the frequency distributions in the side panel of Fig. 4a. The dashed diagonal represents the changing frontier between the two basins of attraction (a transition fold, see inset and Fig. 1a). A larger distance between a solid line and the dashed diagonal indicates a wider basin of attraction, resulting in a higher state stability as revealed by a higher relative frequency of observation (Fig. 4b). Approximate positions of the inflexion points (tipping points) are based on the frequency distributions of alternative microbiota states (Fig. 4b: change from two alternative states to one state). The red tentative S-shape overlay characterizes alternative host states. Continuous parts of the curve represent the cores of the alternative states, and are drawn in correspondence with the means of the frequency distributions in the top panel of Fig. 4a. Changing distances between solid lines and the dashed diagonal represent the observed changes in the relative frequencies of the two host states with microbiota status (Fig. 4c). Approximate positions of the inflexion points (tipping points) are based on the frequency distributions of alternative host states (Fig. 4c). Violet circles represent alternative stable states of the host-microbiota ecosystem (attraction points combining stable host and microbiota states); green circles represent fragile attraction points (less stable host and microbiota states, close to tipping points and frontiers between basins of attraction). Violet and green arrows illustrate predicted evolution of the ecosystem from different positions in the plot to the different attraction points (away from the dashed diagonals, towards the solid lines)

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