title: Monoculture parameters successfully predict coculture growth kinetics of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron and two Bifidobacterium strains.
abstract: Microorganisms rarely live in isolation but are most often found in a consortium. This provides the potential for cross-feeding and nutrient competition among the microbial species, which make it challenging to predict the growth kinetics in coculture. In this paper we developed a mathematical model to describe substrate consumption and subsequent microbial growth and metabolite production for bacteria grown in monoculture. The model characterized substrate utilization kinetics of 18 Bifidobacterium strains. Some bifidobacterial strains demonstrated preferential degradation of oligofructose in that sugars with low degree of polymerization (DP) (DP≤3 or 4) were metabolized before sugars of higher DP, or vice versa. Thus, we expanded the model to describe the preferential degradation of oligofructose. In addition, we adapted the model to describe the competition between human colonic bacteria Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron LMG 11262 and Bifidobacterium longum LMG 11047 or Bifidobacterium breve Yakult for inulin as well as cross-feeding of breakdown products from the extracellular hydrolysis of inulin by B. thetaiotaomicron LMG 11262. We found that the coculture growth kinetics could be predicted based on the respective monoculture growth kinetics. Using growth kinetics from monoculture experiments to predict coculture dynamics will reduce the number of in vitro experiments required to parameterize multi-culture models.
authors.affiliation: AgResearch, Ruakura Research Centre, Private Bag 3123, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand; Riddet Institute, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand. Electronic address: amy.vanwey@agresearch.co.nz.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Van Wey
authors.affiliation: Riddet Institute, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand; AgResearch, Grasslands Research Centre, Tennent Drive, Private Bag 11008, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand. Electronic address: adrian.cookson@agresearch.co.nz.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Cookson
authors.affiliation: Riddet Institute, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand; AgResearch, Grasslands Research Centre, Tennent Drive, Private Bag 11008, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand. Electronic address: nicole.roy@agresearch.co.nz.
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.affiliation: Riddet Institute, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand; AgResearch, Grasslands Research Centre, Tennent Drive, Private Bag 11008, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand. Electronic address: warren.mcnabb@agresearch.co.nz.
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: McNabb
authors.affiliation: Ministry for Primary Industries, PO Box 2526, Wellington 6140, New Zealand. Electronic address: Tanya.Soboleva@mpi.govt.nz.
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Soboleva
authors.affiliation: AgResearch, Ruakura Research Centre, Private Bag 3123, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand; Riddet Institute, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand. Electronic address: paul.shorten@agresearch.co.nz.
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Shorten
mesh_terms: D001439:Bacteroides / Q000254:growth & development*; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D003106:Colon / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007444:Inulin / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D008954:Models, Biological; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009844:Oligosaccharides; C120489:oligofructose; D007444:Inulin
keywords: Carbohydrate degradation; Colonic fermentation; Digestion; Human colon; Monod kinetics; Numerical model