Glycoside hydrolase-mediated glucomannan catabolism in <i>Segatella copri</i>, a target of microbiota-directed foods for malnourished children.

ABSTRACT: Evidence is emerging that perturbed postnatal gut microbiota development is causally related to childhood undernutrition. Clinical trials in undernourished Bangladeshi children found that a polysaccharide-rich, microbiota-directed complementary food (MDCF-2) designed to repair this perturbation produced superior ponderal and linear growth compared to a standard ready-to-use supplementary food. Subsequent analyses disclosed several candidate bioactive polysaccharides in the MDCF and their bacterial targets, notably strains of Segatella copri that possess carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) organized into polysaccharide utilization loci (PULs) targeting these glycans. A Bangladeshi S. copri isolate (BgF5_2) containing these PULs metabolized MDCF-2 glycans and promoted MDCF-de

SUBMITTER: Zhou C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12704710 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature