title: Genomics of the Genus Bifidobacterium Reveals Species-Specific Adaptation to the Glycan-Rich Gut Environment.
abstract: Bifidobacteria represent one of the dominant microbial groups that occur in the gut of various animals, being particularly prevalent during the suckling period of humans and other mammals. Their ability to compete with other gut bacteria is largely attributed to their saccharolytic features. Comparative and functional genomic as well as transcriptomic analyses have revealed the genetic background that underpins the overall saccharolytic phenotype for each of the 47 bifidobacterial (sub)species representing the genus Bifidobacterium, while also generating insightful information regarding carbohydrate resource sharing and cross-feeding among bifidobacteria. The abundance of bifidobacterial saccharolytic features in human microbiomes supports the notion that metabolic accessibility to dietary and/or host-derived glycans is a potent evolutionary force that has shaped the bifidobacterial genome.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Milani
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Turroni
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Duranti
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriele Andrea
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Lugli
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mancabelli
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferrario
authors.affiliation: APC Microbiome Institute and School of Microbiology, National University of Ireland, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Douwe
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van Sinderen
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Parma, Italy marco.ventura@unipr.it.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ventura
mesh_terms: D000220:Adaptation, Biological; D000818:Animals; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000235:genetics*; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology*; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans; D008322:Mammals; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011134:Polysaccharides