Whole-genome transcription profiling reveals genes up-regulated by growth on fucose in the human gut bacterium "Roseburia inulinivorans".
"Roseburia inulinivorans" is an anaerobic polysaccharide-utilizing firmicute bacterium from the human colon that was identified as a producer of butyric acid during growth on glucose, starch, or inulin. R. inulinivorans A2-194 is also able to grow on the host-derived sugar fucose, following a lag period, producing propionate and propanol as additional fermentation products. A shotgun genomic microarray was constructed and used to investigate the switch in gene expression that is involved in changing from glucose to fucose utilization. This revealed a set of genes coding for fucose utilization, propanediol utilization, and the formation of propionate and propanol that are up-regulated during growth on fucose. These include homologues of genes that are implicated in polyhedral body formation in Salmonella enterica. Dehydration of the intermediate 1,2-propanediol involves an enzyme belonging to the new B12-independent glycerol dehydratase family, in contrast to S. enterica, which relies on a B12-dependent enzyme. A typical gram-positive agr-type quorum-sensing system was also up-regulated in R. inulinivorans during growth on fucose. Despite the lack of genome sequence information for this commensal bacterium, microarray analysis has provided a powerful tool for obtaining new information on its metabolic capabilities.
Scott
Karen P
KP
Gut Health Division, Rowett Research Institute, Greenburn Road, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB21 9SB, United Kingdom. K.Scott@rowett.ac.uk
Martin
Jennifer C
JC
Campbell
Gillian
G
Mayer
Claus-Dieter
CD
Flint
Harry J
HJ
D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D003106:Colon / Q000382:microbiology; D003470:Culture Media; D005643:Fucose; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000378:metabolism*; D020005:Propanols / Q000378:metabolism; D011422:Propionates / Q000378:metabolism; D011409:Propylene Glycols; D013401:Sugar Alcohol Dehydrogenases / Q000235:genetics; D015854:Up-Regulation
D003470:Culture Media; D011134:Polysaccharides; D020005:Propanols; D011422:Propionates; D011409:Propylene Glycols; D005643:Fucose; D013401:Sugar Alcohol Dehydrogenases; C020672:glycerol dehydrogenase