Colonic Butyrate-Producing Communities in Humans: an Overview Using Omics Data

Abstract

Studies focusing on taxonomic compositions of the gut microbiota are plentiful, whereas its functional capabilities are still poorly understood. Specific key functions deserve detailed investigations, as they regulate microbiota-host interactions and promote host health and disease. The production of butyrate is among the top targets since depletion of this microbe-derived metabolite is linked to several emerging noncommunicable diseases and was shown to facilitate establishment of enteric pathogens by disrupting colonization resistance. In this study, we established a workflow to investigate in detail the composition of the polyphyletic butyrate-producing community from omics data extracting its biochemical and taxonomic diversity. By combining information from various publicly available data sets, we identified universal ecological key features of this functional group and shed light on its role in health and disease. Our results will assist the development of precision medicine to combat functional dysbiosis.

Study on the ability of partially hydrolyzed guar gum to modulate the gut microbiota and relieve constipation

“…Bacteroides, which has been reported to produce acetate and propionate (Louis, Hold, & Flint, 2014), was stimulated by the treatment of PHGG and XOS. Moreover, MHGG, XOS, and GOS promoted the proliferation of Odoribacter and Alistipes, which are known for their butyrate-producing capabilities in intestinal tract (Vital, Karch, & Pieper, 2017).…”

“…A Spearman correlation coefficient of the top 40 abundant bacterial genera and environmental factors was displayed by the heat map (Figure 7). Among them, Odoribacter, a butyrate-producing bacterium (Vital et al, 2017) and…”

The gut microbiota modulator berberine ameliorates collagen‐induced arthritis in rats by facilitating the generation of butyrate and adjusting the intestinal hypoxia and nitrate supply

“…Butyrate is a 4‐carbon SCFA that is synthesized via pyruvate and acetyl‐CoA, mostly by breaking down complex polysaccharides that escape digestion in the upper gastrointestinal tract (59). The generation of butyrate is predominantly due to the acetyl‐CoA pathway, which converts acetyl‐CoA to butyryl‐CoA in a 4‐step process and then produces butyrate by catalyzing the decomposition and transformation of butyryl‐CoA with BUK or BUT (43, 60). According to our findings, berberine up‐regulated the expression and activity of BUT rather than BUK in both cecal contents of CIA rats and the isolated gut bacteria.…”

Effects of phycocyanin in modulating the intestinal microbiota of mice

“…Each of these bacterial taxa ferments carbohydrates and produces butyric acid (Zackular, Rogers, & Schloss, 2014) and they play important roles in maintaining gut health (Louis & Flint, 2010). Butyrate is produced by intestinal microbial fermentation (Hamer et al, 2008), and can provide energy directly to the gut epithelium, improving intestinal digestion, the absorption of nutrients, and intestinal immunity (Shangari et al, 2007;Trivedi & Jena, 2013;Vital, Karch, & Pieper, 2017). Members of the family Lachnospiraceae in the genus Clostridium are reported to protect their host against colon cancer by producing butyric acid (Meehan & Beiko, 2014 Ruminococcaceae, which is associated with butyrate production, is one of the most abundant families in the order Clostridiales, and reportedly maintains intestinal health (Biddle, Stewart, Blanchard, & Leschine, 2013).…”