bifidobacteria
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...
- Microbial Ecology | SpotlightBifidobacterium pseudolongum in the Ceca of Rats Fed Hi-Maize Starch Has Characteristics of a Keystone Species in Bifidobacterial Blooms
This study addresses the microbiology and function of a natural ecosystem (the rat gut) using DNA-based observations and in vitro experimentation. The microbial community of the large bowel of animals, including humans, has been studied extensively through the use of high-throughput DNA sequencing methods and advanced bioinformatics analysis. These studies reveal the compositions and genetic capacities of microbiotas but not...