Butyrate-producing bacterium

Butyrate-producing bacteria are a polyphyletic group of primarily anaerobic, Gram-positive gut commensals that metabolize dietary fiber and resistant starches to produce butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid vital for colonic health. Genera include Faecalibacterium, Roseburia, Eubacterium, Clostridium, Coprococcus, Anaerostipes, and others. Butyrate produced by these microbes is the preferred energy source for colonic epithelial cells, helps maintain mucosal integrity, and exhibits anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. Alteration in the abundance or activity of these bacteria has been linked to inflammatory, metabolic, infectious, and neurodegenerative diseases. They are not conventional molecular targets or receptors, but are studied as live biotherapeutics and essential components of a healthy gut microbiome

Other names

Butyrogenic bacteriaButyrate producersSCFA-producing bacteria (short-chain fatty acid producers)Butyric acid-producing bacteria

Probiotics: Colonization and increased butyrate/SCFA production Engineered strains: Enhanced fermentation pathways to boost butyrate output Butyrate acts on host: Activation of G-protein coupled SCFA receptors (e.g., GPR43/FFAR2, GPR41/FFAR3, GPR109A), inhibition of histone deacetylases, modulation of immune and epithelial cell function