Lactate cross-feeding between Bifidobacterium species and Megasphaera indica contributes to butyrate formation in the human colonic environment.

ABSTRACT: Butyrate, a physiologically active molecule, can be synthesized through metabolic interactions among colonic microorganisms. Previously, in a fermenting trial of human fecal microbiota, we observed that the butyrogenic effect positively correlated with the increasing Bifidobacterium population and an unidentified Megasphaera species. Therefore, we hypothesized that a cross-feeding phenomenon exists between Bifidobacterium and Megasphaera, where Megasphaera is the butyrate producer, and its growth relies on the metabolites generated by Bifidobacterium. To validate this hypothesis, three bacterial species (B. longum, B. pseudocatenulatum, and M. indica) were isolated from fecal cultures fermenting hydrolyzed xylan; pairwise cocul

SUBMITTER: Zhao S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10807433 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature