Whole-genome transcription profiling reveals genes up-regulated by growth on fucose in the human gut bacterium "Roseburia inulinivorans"

J Bacteriol. 2006 Jun;188(12):4340-9. doi: 10.1128/JB.00137-06.

Abstract

"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.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacteria, Anaerobic / genetics*
  • Bacteria, Anaerobic / growth & development
  • Bacteria, Anaerobic / metabolism
  • Bacteria, Anaerobic / physiology
  • Colon / microbiology
  • Culture Media
  • Fucose
  • Genes, Bacterial*
  • Genome, Bacterial*
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Polysaccharides / metabolism*
  • Propanols / metabolism
  • Propionates / metabolism
  • Propylene Glycols
  • Sugar Alcohol Dehydrogenases / genetics
  • Up-Regulation

Substances

  • Culture Media
  • Polysaccharides
  • Propanols
  • Propionates
  • Propylene Glycols
  • Fucose
  • Sugar Alcohol Dehydrogenases
  • glycerol dehydrogenase

Associated data

  • GENBANK/DQ299881
  • GENBANK/DQ299882
  • GENBANK/DQ299883
  • GENBANK/DQ299884