bifidobacteria
Microbial Ecology | SpotlightEcological Importance of Cross-Feeding of the Intermediate Metabolite 1,2-Propanediol between Bacterial Gut SymbiontsThrough experiments in gnotobiotic mice that employed isogenic mutants of bacterial strains that produce (Bifidobacterium breve) and utilize (Lactobacillus reuteri) 1,2-propanediol, this study provides mechanistic insight into the ecological ramifications of a trophic interaction between gut...
Food MicrobiologyGalacto- and Fructo-oligosaccharides Utilized for Growth by Cocultures of Bifidobacterial Species Characteristic of the Infant GutThe kinds of bacteria that form the collection of microbes (the microbiota) in the gut of human infants may influence health and well-being. Knowledge of how the composition of the infant diet influences the assemblage of the bacterial collection is therefore important because dietary interventions may offer opportunities to alter the microbiota with the aim of improving health....
Environmental MicrobiologyDeciphering the Bifidobacterial Populations within the Canine and Feline Gut MicrobiotaCurrently, domesticated dogs and cats are the most cherished companion animals for humans, and concerns about their health and well-being are therefore important. In this context, the gut microbiota plays a crucial role in maintaining and promoting host health. However, despite the social relevance of domesticated dogs and cats, their intestinal microbial communities are still far from being completely understood. In this study, the...
Microbial Ecology | SpotlightFecal Microbiotas of Indonesian and New Zealand Children Differ in Complexity and Bifidobacterial Taxa during the First Year of LifeThis study addresses the microbiology of a natural ecosystem (the infant bowel) for children in a rural setting in Indonesia and in an urban environment in New Zealand. Analysis of DNA sequences generated from the microbial community (microbiota) in the feces of the infants during the first year of life showed marked differences in the composition and complexity of the bacterial collections. The differences were most likely due to...
Microbial Ecology | SpotlightAn In Vitro Enrichment Strategy for Formulating Synergistic SynbioticsThis study describes an in vitro enrichment method to formulate synergistic synbiotics that have potential for establishing autochthonous strains across multiple individuals. The rationale for this approach—that the chance of survival of a bacterial strain is improved by providing it with its required resources—is based on classic ecological theory. From these experiments, a human-derived strain,...
Evolutionary and Genomic MicrobiologyUnveiling Genomic Diversity among Members of the Species Bifidobacterium pseudolongum, a Widely Distributed Gut Commensal of the Animal KingdomCurrently, little information exists on the genetics of the B. pseudolongum taxon due to the limited number of sequenced genomes belonging to this species. In order to survey genome variability within this species and explore how members of this taxon evolved as commensals of the animal gut, we isolated and decoded the genomes of 51 newly isolated strains. Comparative...
Food MicrobiologyBifidobacterium bifidum ATCC 15696 and Bifidobacterium breve 24b Metabolic Interaction Based on 2′-O-Fucosyl-Lactose Studied in Steady-State Cultures in a Freter-Style ChemostatThis study addresses the microbiology and function of a natural ecosystem (the infant bowel) using in vitro experimentation with bacterial cultures maintained under controlled growth and environmental conditions. We studied the growth of bifidobacteria whose nutrition centered on the hydrolysis of a human milk oligosaccharide. The results revealed responses relating to metabolism occurring in a...
Microbial EcologyDissecting the Evolutionary Development of the Species Bifidobacterium animalis through Comparative Genomics AnalysesThe majority of characterized B. animalis strains have been isolated from human fecal samples. In order to explore genome variability within this species, we isolated 15 novel strains from the gastrointestinal tracts of different animals, including mammals and birds. The present study allowed us to reconstruct the pangenome of this taxon, including the genome contents...
- Genetics and Molecular BiologyA Transposon Mutagenesis System for Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum Based on an IS3 Family Insertion Sequence, ISBlo11
- Environmental Microbiology | SpotlightReconstruction of the Bifidobacterial Pan-Secretome Reveals the Network of Extracellular Interactions between Bifidobacteria and the Infant Gut
The ecological success of bifidobacteria relies on the activity of extracellular proteins that are involved in the metabolism of nutrients and the interaction with the environment. To date, information on secreted proteins encoded by bifidobacteria is incomplete and just related to few species. In this study, we reconstructed the bifidobacterial pan-secretome, revealing extracellular proteins that modulate the interaction of...