Bifidobacterium
| Bifidobacterium | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Bifidobacterium adolescentis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Bacteria |
| Phylum: | Actinobacteria |
| Class: | Actinobacteria |
| Subclass: | Actinobacteridae |
| Order: | Bifidobacteriales |
| Family: | Bifidobacteriaceae |
| Genus: |
Bifidobacterium Orla-Jensen 1924 |
| Species | |
|
B. adolescentis |
|
 |
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Bifidobacterium is a genus of Gram-positive, non-motile, often branched anaerobic bacteria. They are ubiquitous, endosymbiotic inhabitants of the gastrointestinal tract, vagina[1][2] and mouth (B. dentium) of mammals and other animals. Bifidobacteria are one of the major genera of bacteria that make up the colon flora in mammals. Some bifidobacteria are used as probiotics.
Before the 1960s, Bifidobacterium species were collectively referred to as "Lactobacillus bifidus".
Probiotics
Some Bifidobacterium strains are considered as important probiotics and used in the food industry. Different species and/or strains of bifidobacteria may exert a range of beneficial health effects, including the regulation of intestinal microbial homeostasis, the inhibition of pathogens and harmful bacteria that colonize and/or infect the gut mucosa, the modulation of local and systemic immune responses, the repression of procarcinogenic enzymatic activities within the microbiota, the production of vitamins, and the bioconversion of a number of dietary compounds into bioactive molecules.[2]
Bifidobacterium spp. are known to discourage the growth of Gram-negative pathogens in infants.[citation needed]
Mother's milk contains high concentrations of lactose and lower quantities of phosphate (pH Buffer). Therefore, when mother's milk is fermented by lactic acid bacteria (incl. bifidobacteria) in the infant's GI tract, the pH may be reduced, making it more difficult for Gram-negative bacteria to grow.
Metabolism
The genus Bifidobacterium possesses a unique fructose-6-phosphate phosphoketolase pathway employed to ferment carbohydrates.
Much metabolic research on bifidobacteria has focused on oligosaccharide metabolism as these carbohydrates are available in their otherwise nutrient-limited habitats. Interestingly, infant-associated bifidobacterial phylotypes appear to have evolved the ability to ferment milk oligosaccharides, whereas adult-associated species utilize plant oligosaccharides, consistent with what they encounter in their respective environments. As breast-fed infants often harbor bifidobacteria dominated gut consortia, there have been numerous applications to mimic the bifidogenic properties of milk oligosaccharides. These are broadly classified as plant-derived fructo-oligosaccharides or dairy-derived galacto-oligosaccharides, which are differentially metabolized and distinct from milk oligosaccharide catabolism.[2]
Response to oxygen
The sensitivity of members of the genus Bifidobacterium to O2 limits probiotic activity to solely anaerobic habitats. Recent research has reported that the Bifidobacterium strains exhibit various types of oxic growth. Low concentrations of O2 and CO2 can have a stimulatory effect on the growth of Bifidobacterium strains. Based on the growth profiles under different O2 concentrations, the Bifidobacterium species were classified into four classes: O2-hypersensitive, O2-sensitive, O2-tolerant, and microaerophilic. The primary factor responsible for aerobic growth inhibition is proposed to be the production of H2O2 in the growth medium. A H2O2-forming NADH oxidase was purified from O2-sensitive Bifidobacterium bifidum and was identified as a b-type dihydroorotate dehydrogenase. The kinetic parameters suggested that the enzyme could be involved in H2O2 production in highly aerated environments.[3]
See also
References
- ^ Schell, Mark A.; Karmirantzou, Maria; Snel, Berend; Vilanova, David; Berger, Bernard; Pessi, Gabriella; Zwahlen, Marie-Camille; Desiere, Frank et al (2002). "The genome sequence of Bifidobacterium longum reflects its adaptation to the human gastrointestinal tract". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 99 (22): 14422–7. doi:10.1073/pnas.212527599. PMC 137899. PMID 12381787. //www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=137899.
- ^ a b c Mayo, Baltasar; van Sinderen, Douwe, eds. (2010). Bifidobacteria: Genomics and Molecular Aspects. Caister Academic Press. ISBN 978-1-904455-68-4.[page needed]
- ^ Sonomoto, Kenji; Yokota, Atsushi, eds. (2011). Lactic Acid Bacteria and Bifidobacteria: Current Progress in Advanced Research. Caister Academic Press. ISBN 978-1-904455-82-0.[page needed]
External links
Bifidobacterium Genome Projects] (from [http://www.genomesonline.org Genomes OnLine Database)
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