Butyrate production in phylogenetically diverse Firmicutes isolated from the chicken caecum.

ABSTRACT: Sixteen butyrate-producing bacteria were isolated from the caecal content of chickens and analysed phylogenetically. They did not represent a coherent phylogenetic group, but were allied to four different lineages in the Firmicutes phylum. Fourteen strains appeared to represent novel species, based on a level of ≤ 98.5% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity towards their nearest validly named neighbours. The highest butyrate concentrations were produced by the strains belonging to clostridial clusters IV and XIVa, clusters which are predominant in the chicken caecal microbiota. In only one of the 16 strains tested, the butyrate kinase operon could be amplified, while the butyryl-CoA:acetate CoA-transferase gene was detected in eight strains belonging to clostridial clusters IV, XIVa and XIVb.

SUBMITTER: Eeckhaut V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3815262 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature