Members of the genus Bifidobacterium include gut commensals that are particularly abundant among the microbial communities residing in the gut of healthy breast-fed infants, where their presence has been linked to many beneficial host effects. Next-generation DNA sequencing and comparative and functional genome methodologies have been shown to be particularly useful in exploring the diversity of this genus. These combined approaches have allowed the identification of genetic features related to bifidobacterial establishment in the gut, involving host–microbe as well as microbe–microbe interactions. Among these, proteinaceous structures, which protrude from the bacterial surface, i.e. pili or fimbriae, and exopolysaccharidic cell surface layers or capsules represent crucial features that assist in their colonization and persistence in the gut. As bifidobacteria are colonizers of the large intestine, they have to be able to cope with various sources of osmotic, oxidative, bile and acid stress during their transit across the gastric barrier and the small intestine. Bifidobacterial genomes thus encode various survival mechanisms, such as molecular chaperones and efflux pumps, to overcome such challenges. Bifidobacteria represent part of an anaerobic gut community, and feed on nondigestible carbohydrates through a specialized fermentative metabolic pathway, which in turn produces growth substrates for other members of the gut community. Conversely, bifidobacteria may also be dependent on other (bifido)bacteria to access host- and diet-derived glycans, and these complex co-operative interactions, based on resource sharing and cross-feeding strategies, represent powerful driving forces that shape gut microbiota composition.
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December 2017
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Cover Image
The marine worm Chaetopterus produces blue-green glowing mucus when disturbed. The light production process requires iron and is regulated by ferritin. Characterization of the worm ferritin reveals that it outperforms any other ferritins reported in the literature. Compilation made by De Meulenaere, using the crystal structure of the worm ferritin by Bailey and specimen image taken by Deheyn. For more information, please see pages, 4193–4206.
Review Article|
December 06 2017
Omics of bifidobacteria: research and insights into their health-promoting activities
Francesca Bottacini;
Francesca Bottacini
1APC Microbiome Institute, Department of Microbiology, National University of Ireland, Western Road, Cork, Ireland
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Douwe van Sinderen;
1APC Microbiome Institute, Department of Microbiology, National University of Ireland, Western Road, Cork, Ireland
Correspondence: Douwe van Sinderen (d.vansinderen@ucc.ie) or Marco Ventura (marco.ventura@unipr.it)
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Marco Ventura
2Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Chemical Sciences, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
3Microbiome Research Hub, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
Correspondence: Douwe van Sinderen (d.vansinderen@ucc.ie) or Marco Ventura (marco.ventura@unipr.it)
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
July 20 2017
Revision Received:
October 10 2017
Accepted:
November 06 2017
Online ISSN: 1470-8728
Print ISSN: 0264-6021
© 2017 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society
2017
Biochem J (2017) 474 (24): 4137–4152.
Article history
Received:
July 20 2017
Revision Received:
October 10 2017
Accepted:
November 06 2017
Citation
Francesca Bottacini, Douwe van Sinderen, Marco Ventura; Omics of bifidobacteria: research and insights into their health-promoting activities. Biochem J 15 December 2017; 474 (24): 4137–4152. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BCJ20160756
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