Abstract
RNA-seq data contains not only host transcriptomes but also non-host information that comprises transcripts from active microbiota in the host cells. Therefore, metatranscriptomics can reveal gene expression of the entire microbial community in a given sample. However, there is no single tool that can simultaneously analyze host-microbiota interactions and to quantify microbiome at the single-cell level, particularly for users with limited expertise of bioinformatics. Here, we developed a novel software program that can comprehensively and synergistically analyze gene expression of the host and microbiome as well as their association using bulk and single-cell RNA-seq data. Our pipeline, named Meta-Transcriptome Detector (MTD), can identify and quantify microbiome extensively, including viruses, bacteria, protozoa, fungi, plasmids, and vectors. MTD is easy to install and is user-friendly. This novel software program empowers researchers to study the interactions between microbiota and the host by analyzing gene expressions and pathways, which provides further insights into host responses to microorganisms.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.