Author Identifier (ORCID)
Abstract
Prokaryote-prokaryote symbiotic relationships influence interactions within microbial communities, affecting colonization, survival, and organization. Unlike competition, consortium species facilitate growth via metabolite cross-feeding. This study explored interactions between two early human gut colonizers: partially aerotolerant Bifidobacterium spp. and strict anaerobic Bacteroides spp., using omics techniques. Promotion of Bacteroides spp. growth by Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis was demonstrated through co-culture experiments in anaerobic conditions. Metabolomic analysis revealed over 150 unique metabolites present in B. animalis subsp. lactis supernatants are absent in other Bifidobacterium species, including 3-hydroxycapric acid, D-alanyl-D-alanine, 2-isopropylmalic acid, and D-glucose 2-phosphate. These compounds served as nutritional substrates, including carbon and nitrogen sources, significantly enhancing Bacteroides spp. growth. In murine models, early colonization by B. animalis subsp. lactis consolidated Bacteroides fragilis colonization (1.7 × 104 to 9.7 × 106 copy number/g fecal sample) by providing these metabolites as a niche. These findings highlight B. animalis subsp. lactis plays a critical role in gut colonization of Bacteroides spp. via its exclusive metabolic profile, offering insights into partitioned metabolic activity within gut communities and emphasizing the importance of specific metabolites in early microbial establishment.
Keywords
Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, early colonization, gut microbiome, metabolites
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
Article Number
2696647
ISSN
19490976
Volume
18
Issue
1
Publication Title
Gut Microbes
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
School
School of Science
Funding Information
This study was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (2022YFA0806400), the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Major Project (2023SHZDZX02), Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Major Project (#2019SHZDZX02), National Natural Science Foundation of China (82270582) and the Research Foundation for Advanced Talents of Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital (KY012023293).
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Shahin, K., Wang, L., He, Z., Lv, B., Van Alin, A., Lo-Man, R., Wu, H., Sansonetti, P., & Collard, J. (2026). A metabolite-dependent mechanism by which Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis promotes Bacteroides colonization. Gut Microbes, 18(1), 2696647. https://doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2026.2696647