Here we sequenced 249 fecal samples from European adults, leading to a total of 760 samples in the Metagenome of the Human Intestinal Tract (MetaHIT) project. All 6.4TB whole-genome shotgun sequencing data from 1267 fecal samples in MetaHIT, the Human Microbiome Project (HMP) and our diabetes study on Chinese adults were processed with the MOCAT pipeline. The resulting gene catalogs were merged using CD-HIT and complemented with genes from 511 sequenced human gut-related prokaryotic genomes that were present in our gut metagenomes. The final high-quality integrated reference catalog of the human gut microbiome contains 9,879,896 non-redundant genes. The genes were phylogenetically annotated according to 3449 bacterial and archaeal genomes and draft genomes from NCBI, and functionally annotated using orthologous groups from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and the evolutionary genealogy of genes: Non-supervised Orthologous Groups (eggNOG) databases. In addition, 11 samples from the Chinese cohort were re-extracted using the MetaHIT DNA extraction protocol and shotgun-sequenced to compare with the original data generated by a slightly different DNA extraction protocol.

We provide data from the sequenced and analyzed gut metagenome of 368 Chinese individuals with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) and healthy controls used in a newly developed two stage Metagenome-Wide Association Study (MWAS) aimed at identifying associations between gut microbiota and Type 2 Diabetes. The data here include the an updated metagenome gene catalog, metagenome assemblies, genetic and functional markers associated with T2D, and a novel form of marker- a Metagenomic Linkage Marker (MGL), that allows taxonomic species-level analyses without the need to identify, isolate, and culture novel bacterial species.Bacterial DNA was extracted from faecal samples and subjected to unbiased, whole-genome shotgun (WGS) sequencing using the Illumina GAIIx and HiSeq2000. In summary, 145 samples were sequenced in stage I and 378.4 Gb of paired-end (PE) sequence data were generated; 200 samples were sequenced in stage II and 830.8 Gb of PE sequence data were generated, as well as 23 additional samples for a validation study on gut-microbiota-based T2D classification. By combining MetaHIT data and our sequence data in stage I we constructed an updated human gut microbial gene catalogue, which contained 4.3 million genes suitable for studies on Chinese individuals. In this updated gene catalogue, 21.3%, 47.1% and 60.9% of genes could be assigned to known genera, KEGG and eggNOG database respectively. Taking this gene catalogue as a reference, we identified gene, KO and OG markers, respectively, which seemed to be strongly associated with T2D in our two-stage case-control study, and 47 Metagenomic Linkage Groups (MLGs). These MLGs were further assembled into different contig sets, which could provide useful genetic, functional, and taxonomic information for the relevant bacterium.

The May 2011 outbreak of an E. coli infection in Europe resulted in serious concerns about the potential appearance of a new deadly strain of bacteria, Escherichia coli O104:H4 TY-2482. In response to this situation, and immediately after the reports of deaths, the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf and BGI-Shenzhen worked together to sequence the bacterium and assess its human health risk.

The bacteriums genome was first sequenced using Life Technologies; Ion Torrent sequencing platform. According to the results of the draft assembly, the estimated genome size of this new E. coli strain is about 5.2 Mb. Sequence analysis indicated this bacterium is an EHEC serotype O104 E. coli strain. Comparative analysis showed that this bacterium has 93% sequence similarity with the EAEC 55989 E. coli strain, which was isolated in the Central African Republic and known to cause serious diarrhea. This strain of E. coli, however, has also acquired specific sequences that appear to be similar to those involved in the pathogenicity of hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic-uremic syndrome. The acquisition of these genes may have occurred through horizontal gene transfer.

To maximize its utility to the research community and aid those fighting the epidemic, this genomic data was released into the public domain under a CC0 license.

To the extent possible under law, BGI Shenzhen has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to genomic data from the 2011 E. coli outbreak. This work is published from China.