The Bifidobacteria and Related Organisms

Biology, Taxonomy, Applications

Paola Mattarelli, Bruno Biavati, Wilhelm H. Holzapfel, Brian JB Wood

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9780128050606
• eBook ISBN: 9780128052099
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Food Science
• Index: Technology & Engineering

The Bifidobacteria and Related Organisms: Biology, Taxonomy, Applications brings together authoritative reviews on all aspects of Bifidobacteria and related genera. Their place within the Phylum Actinobacteria is discussed first, and this is followed by descriptions of the genera Bifidobacterium, Alloscardovia, Aeriscardovia, Bombiscardovia, Gardnerella, Metascardovia, Parascardovia and Scardovia and the currently accredited species within those genera.The increased availability of genome sequences and molecular tools for studying bifidobacteria provides important information about their taxonomy, physiology and interactions with their host. Also considerations about common bifidobacterial core maintenance during the mutual coevolution of a host and its intestinal microbes could be relevant for health claims for the ability of symbiotic gut bacteria to provide health benefits to their host, and for evaluating such claims in scientifically valid experiments.Chemotaxonomy is important to our understanding of these genera and so is considered along with physiological and biochemical aspects before proceeding to examine clinical and other practical aspects. The ability to maintain pure cultures and to grow cells in industrial quantities when required for applications requires that the cells' environmental and nutritional needs are well understood. Some species are important clinically and as animal digestive tract synbionts—and even play a part in honey production—so these matters are considered along with milk oligosaccharides' roles in gut flora development in neonates.- Presents information on all bacteria in this group in one place- Provides applications and technological considerations placed alongside more academic matters such as nomenclature and phylogeny- Includes basic information on the beneficial role of bifidobacteria in the human gut, with particular importance for infants- Provides information on genomic and gene modification technologies

Chapter 1

The Phylum Actinobacteria

Paul A. Lawson Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States

Abstract

Due to similarities between members of the genera Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, historically the taxonomy of these organisms has often been confused; indeed, many former and contemporary texts have addressed these genera together. A major factor for this intermixing is that both taxa share several morphological and physiological similarities; for example, both are Gram-stain positive, are nonspore-forming and produce significant amounts of lactic acid as end-products of glucose metabolism. Furthermore, both Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus are regularly isolated from the GI tract of human infants and adults and both genera have been associated with potential health-promoting properties. However, several important traits can be used to differentiate between these taxa, the DNA mol.% G + C of bifidobacteria is much higher than lactobacilli and, in addition, the metabolic hexose bifidum shunt containing the key enzyme fructose-6-phosphate phosphoketolase are unique to the genus Bifidobacterium. But, it was not until the advent of molecular methods, and most significantly the application of 16S and 23 rRNA gene sequencing, that the taxonomy of these groups was finally resolved. Not only were the two genera found to be well separated, but more extraordinary, were phylogenetically located in different phyla; Lactobacillus was located within the Firmicutes while Bifidobacterium was found to be placed within the Actinobacteria. The phylum Actinobacteria is one of the major phyla in the domain Bacteria and is based on the branching pattern in the 16S rRNA gene tree and taxon-specific 16S rRNA signatures. This is further supported by the presence of conserved insertions and deletions (or indels) in certain proteins, and characteristic gene rearrangements. Within the phylum six classes have been circumscribed: Actinobacteria, Acidimicrobidiia, Coriobacteria, Nitriliruptoria, Rubrobacteria, and Thermoleophilia.

Keywords

Actinobacteria

taxonomy

classification

phylogeny

16S rRNA

genomes

Ac.ti.no.bac.te’ri.a. Gr. n. actis -inos a ray, beam, N.L. n. bacter a rod; suff. –ia ending denoting phylum; N.L. pl. neut. n. Actinobacteria actinomycete bacteria with diverse morphologies.

1.1. Introduction

Th...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Contributors
• Preface
• Chapter 1: The Phylum Actinobacteria
• Chapter 2: Species in the Genus Bifidobacterium
• Chapter 3: Related Genera Within the Family Bifidobacteriaceae
• Chapter 4: Isolation, Cultivation, and Storage of Bifidobacteria
• Chapter 5: Chemotaxonomic Features in the Bifidobacteriaceae Family
• Chapter 6: Nutritional Requirements of Bifidobacteria
• Chapter 7: Stress Responses of Bifidobacteria: Oxygen and Bile Acid as the Stressors
• Chapter 8: Carbohydrate Metabolism in Bifidobacteria
• Chapter 9: Interactions Between Bifidobacteria, Milk Oligosaccharides, and Neonate Hosts
• Chapter 10: Biological Activities and Applications of Bifidobacterial Exopolysaccharides: From the Bacteria and Host Perspective
• Chapter 11: Folate and Bifidobacteria
• Chapter 12: Bifidobacteria: Ecology and Coevolution With the Host
• Chapter 13: Clinical Significance of Bifidobacteria
• Chapter 14: Honeybee-Specific Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli
• Chapter 15: Genetic Manipulation and Gene Modification Technologies in Bifidobacteria
• Chapter 16: Production of Probiotic Bifidobacteria
• Chapter 17: Prebiotics, Probiotics, and Synbiotics: A Bifidobacterial View
• Chapter 18: Evidence of the In Vitro and In Vivo Immunological Relevance of Bifidobacteria
• Index