Lachnoclostridium phytofermentans

(aka Clostridium phytofermentans)

Bacteria
General | Carbohydrate O/F | Substrate utilisation | Enzymes | Metabolites | Antibiotics

Overview

  • Lachnoclostridium phytofermentans, (aka Clostridium phytofermentans), is a Gram-negative, spore-forming, strictly anaerobic, motile, rod-shaped bacterium. It has been detected in at least 5 gut microbiome compilation studies or metastudies. The DNA G+C content is 35.9%. Lachnoclostridium phytofermentans is probably a common, although minor, coloniser of the gut. (Yutin2013; Warnick2002; Rainey2011gBergey)



  • This organism has been recovered from human faeces and from forest soil. The risk classification (www.baua.de) for this organism is 1, i.e., low risk of infection and spread. Pathogenicity status unknown, or very unlikely to be pathogenic. A possible gut commensal.
    • QUIRKS
  • In 14% of Europeans (unseenbio.com). Minor coloniser.
    • GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS (Yutin2013); (Warnick2002); (Rainey2011gBergey);
    Character Response
  • Substrates hydrolysed or digested:
  • cellulose;
  • pH
  • Acidity tolerance:
  • tolerates pH 6.0-8.0; tolerates pH 9;
  • 🌡
  • Temperature tolerance:
  • grows weakly at 15℃; grows at 37℃; doesn't grow at 45℃; Grows optimally at 37℃.
  • ⥅
  • Substrates assimilated or utilised:
  • arabinose; cellubiose; cellulose; fructose; galactose; gentiobiose; glucose; lactose; maltose; mannose; pectin; ribose; starch; xylan; xylose;
    • SPECIAL FEATURES (Yutin2013); (Warnick2002); (Rainey2011gBergey);
    Character Response
  • ✓
  • Metabolites produced:
  • formate (minor); acetate; lactate (minor); ethanol; CO₂; H₂;
  • ✗
  • Metabolites not produced:
  • H₂S;
  • ✗
  • Nitrate:
  • not reduced
  • ✗
  • Sulfate:
  • not reduced
    • RESPONSE TO ANTIBIOTICS (Warnick2002);
    Class Active Resistant
  • Aminoglycosides:
  • kanamycin; streptomycin;

  • N/A

  • Plant-fermenting Clostridia are anaerobic bacteria that recycle plant matter in soil and promote human health by fermenting dietary fiber in the intestine. Clostridia degrade plant biomass using extracellular enzymes and then uptake the liberated sugars for fermentation. The main sugars in plant biomass are hexoses, and here, we identify how hexoses are taken in to the cell by the model organism Clostridium phytofermentans. We show that this bacterium uptakes hexoses using a set of highly specific, nonredundant ABC transporters. Once in the cell, the hexoses are phosphorylated by intracellular hexokinases. This study provides insight into the functioning of abundant members of soil and intestinal microbiomes and identifies gene targets to engineer strains for industrial lignocellulosic fermentation. [PMID: 31109990]

  • GutFeeling KnowledgeBase COMMENTS [Website]

    Clostridium phytofermentans is an anaerobic ethanol- and hydrogen-producing cellulolytic bacterium from forest soil that is capable of fermenting all major carbohydrate components of biomass. It grows optimally at 35-37 degrees Celsius. Cells stain Gram-negative, despite having a Gram-positive cell-wall ultrastructure, and are motile, straight rods that form spherical terminal spores that swollen with sporangium. Cellulose, pectin, starch, and xylan are rapidly degraded and fermented with ethanol, acetate, CO2 and H2 as the major end-products and formate and lactate as minor products. Two to 4 times more ethanol than acetate are formed, suggesting that C. phytofermentans possesses unusual fermentation pathways. Hydrogen production approaches maximum amounts expected based on the amounts of non-gaseous products formed, thus it is interesting from a biotechnology point of view. Phylogenetically, C. phytofermentans is a member of Cluster XIVa of the low-G+C-content Gram-positive bacteria, only distantly related to another cellulose-degrading bacterium, Clostridium thermocellum (CLOTH) (adapted from genome.jgi-psf.org/finished_microbes/clopi/clopi.home.html). [UP000000370]

    • Details

    GENERAL
    Lineage Physiology General Growth Tolerances Hydrol./digest./degr.
    Phylum:  Firmicutes Class:  Clostridia Order:  Eubacteriales Family:  Lachnospiraceae Genus:  Lachnoclostridium Alt. name:  Clostridium phytofermentans Gram stain:  neg O2 Relation.:  strictly anaerobic Spore:  Endospore Motility:  Swimming Morphology:  Rod
    Health:  Unknown
    Source:  human faeces and from forest soil
    DNA G+C(%):  35.9
    Opt. T:  37℃
    Low T(℃):  15(w)
    Mid T(℃):  37(+)
    High T(℃):  45(neg)
    pH 6.0-8.0:  6.0-8.0(+)
    pH >8:  9(+)
    		Aesculin:  neg
    SUBSTRATE ASSIMILATION & UTILISATION
    Monosaccharide util/assim Oligosaccharide util/assim Other carboh. util/assim Amino acid util/assim Organic acid util/assim
    Arabinose:  + Fructose:  + Galactose:  + Glucose:  + Mannose:  + Ribose:  + Xylose:  + Cellubiose:  + Gentiobiose:  + Lactose:  + Maltose:  + Sucrose:  neg Trehalose:  neg Cellulose:  + Glycerol:  neg Pectin:  + Starch:  + Xylan:  + Pyruvate:  neg
    ENZYME ACTIVITY
    Enzymes: General Enzymes: Carbohydrate Enzymes: Protein Enzymes: Arylamidases Enzymes: Esters/fats
    Urease:  neg
    METABOLITES - PRODUCTION & USE
    Fuel Usable Metabolites Metabolites Released Special Products Compounds Produced

    		Formate:  minor(+) Acetate:  + Lactate:  minor(+) Ethanol:  + H2S:  neg CO2:  + H2:  +
    ANTIBIOTICS ℞
    Penicillins & Penems (μg/mL) Cephalosporins (μg/mL) Aminoglycosides (μg/mL) Macrolides (μg/mL) Quinolones (μg/mL)
    kanamycin:  Res
    streptomycin:  Res
    Tetracyclines (μg/mL) Vancomycin Class (μg/mL) Polypep/ketides (μg/mL) Heterocycles (μg/mL) Other (μg/mL)

    References

    SPECIFIC REFERENCES FOR LACHNOCLOSTRIDIUM PHYTOFERMENTANS
  • Yutin2013 - A genomic update on clostridial phylogeny: Gram-negative spore formers and other misplaced clostridia.
  • Warnick2002 - Clostridium phytofermentans sp. nov., a cellulolytic mesophile from forest soil.
  • Rainey2011gBergey - Bergey's manual of systematic bacteriology. Vol. 3, The Firmicutes. Family Clostridiaceae, Genus I. Clostridium - Cluster XIVa
  • ...............................
    • GUT MICROBIOME COMPILATIONS AND METASTUDIES FOR LACHNOCLOSTRIDIUM PHYTOFERMENTANS
  • Byrd2020 - Stability and dynamics of the human gut microbiome and its association with systemic immune traits.
  • King2019 - Baseline human gut microbiota profile in healthy people and standard reporting template.
  • New2022 - Collective effects of human genomic variation on microbiome function.
  • Qin2012 - Metagenome-wide association study of gut microbiota in type 2 diabetes
  • Zeller2014 - Potential of fecal microbiota for early-stage detection of colorectal cancer
  • ...............................
    • GENERAL REFERENCES FOR LACHNOCLOSTRIDIUM PHYTOFERMENTANS
  • Ludwig2009 - Revised road map to the phylum Firmicutes.
    • Added: February 08, 2021