β-glucan is a major growth substrate for human gut bacteria related to Coprococcus eutactus

Anna M Alessi, Victoria Gray, Freda M Farquharson, Adriana Flores-López, Sophie Shaw, David Stead, Udo Wegmann, Claire Shearman, Mike Gasson, Elaina SR Collie-Duguid, Harry J Flint, Petra Louis* (Corresponding Author)

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Citations (Scopus)
5 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

A clone encoding carboxymethylcellulase activity was isolated during functional screening of a human gut metagenomic library using Lactococcus lactis MG1363 as heterologous host. The insert carried a glycoside hydrolase family 9 (GH9) catalytic domain with sequence similarity to a gene from Coprococcus eutactus ART55/1. Genome surveys indicated a limited distribution of GH9 domains among dominant human colonic anaerobes. Genomes of C. eutactus‐related strains harboured two GH9‐encoding and four GH5‐encoding genes, but the strains did not appear to degrade cellulose. Instead, they grew well on β‐glucans and one of the strains also grew on galactomannan, galactan, glucomannan and starch. Coprococcus comes and Coprococcus catus strains did not harbour GH9 genes and were not able to grow on β‐glucans. Gene expression and proteomic analysis of C. eutactus ART55/1 grown on cellobiose, β‐glucan and lichenan revealed similar changes in expression in comparison to glucose. On β‐glucan and lichenan only, one of the four GH5 genes was strongly upregulated. Growth on glucomannan led to a transcriptional response of many genes, in particular a strong upregulation of glycoside hydrolases involved in mannan degradation. Thus, β‐glucans are a major growth substrate for species related to C. eutactus, with glucomannan and galactans alternative substrates for some strains.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2150-2164
Number of pages15
JournalEnvironmental Microbiology
Volume22
Issue number6
Early online date20 Mar 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2020

Keywords

  • BUTYRATE-PRODUCING BACTERIA
  • RUMINOCOCCUS-CHAMPANELLENSIS
  • CELLULOSE DEGRADATION
  • ENDOGLUCANASE
  • MICROBIOTA
  • METAGENOMICS
  • PHYLOGENIES
  • PROPIONATE
  • SECRETION
  • GENOMICS

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