Selective Utilization of Medicinal Polysaccharides by Human Gut Bacteroides and Parabacteroides Species

Overview

Journal Nat Commun

Date 2025 Jan 14

PMID 39809740

Authors

Zepeng Qu

Hongbin Liu

Ji Yang

Linggang Zheng

Jumin Huang

Ziming Wang

Chun Xie

Wenlong Zuo

Xiong Xia

Lin Sun

Yifa Zhou

Ying Xie

Jingguang Lu

Yizhun Zhu

Lili Yu

Lihua Liu

Hua Zhou

Lei Dai

Elaine Lai-Han Leung

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Human gut Bacteroides and Parabacteroides species play crucial roles in human health and are known for their capacity to utilize diverse polysaccharides. Understanding how these bacteria utilize medicinal polysaccharides is foundational for developing polysaccharides-based prebiotics and drugs. Here, we systematically mapped the utilization profiles of 20 different medicinal polysaccharides by 28 human gut Bacteroides and Parabacteroides species. The growth profiles exhibited substantial variation across different bacterial species and medicinal polysaccharides. Ginseng polysaccharides promoted the growth of multiple Bacteroides and Parabacteroides species; in contrast, Dendrobium polysaccharides selectively promoted the growth of Bacteroides uniformis. This distinct utilization profile was associated with genomic variation in carbohydrate-active enzymes, rather than monosaccharides composition variation among medicinal polysaccharides. Through comparative transcriptomics and genetical manipulation, we validated that the polysaccharide utilization locus PUL34_Bu enabled Bacteroides uniformis to utilize Dendrobium polysaccharides (i.e. glucomannan). In addition, we found that the GH26 enzyme in PUL34_Bu allowed Bacteroides uniformis to utilize multiple plant-derived mannan. Overall, our results revealed the selective utilization of medicinal polysaccharide by Bacteroides and Parabacteroides species and provided insights into the use of polysaccharides in engineering the human gut microbiome.

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