What does this bacterium look like?
Ruminococcoides has the shape of small spheres and looks a bit like an open pearl necklace. Depending on the exact species, these bacteria are often no larger than 1 micrometer. That is small when you know that 1,000 micrometers fit into one millimeter. These bacteria often hang together in pairs or even in long strands.
What does science already know about this bacterium?
Quite recently there was a taxonomic update in which Ruminococcoides was separated from Ruminococcus. This is also reflected in the name of this new genus. Ruminococcoides means nothing less than “similar to Ruminococcus”. The genus Ruminococcus has been studied for decades. That name refers to the forestomach (or “rumen”) of ruminants, where these bacteria are also found.
Ruminococcoides does not tolerate oxygen well and is therefore difficult to grow in the lab. We do know that there are different species, such as Ruminococcoides bromii, Ruminococcoides intestinalis and Ruminococcoides intestinihominis.
We also know that the average genome size of Ruminococcoides varies between 2.5 and 4.5 million base pairs with more than 2,000 genes. This means that this bacterium can produce more than 2,000 different substances.
What is this bacterium doing in my gut?
Ruminococcoides is an important inhabitant of your gut. It is a hard worker that loves food residues that you cannot digest yourself, such as starch and fiber from fruit and vegetables. When Ruminococcoides gets to work, it converts these complex carbohydrates into useful substances. On the one hand, these are simpler sugars that other beneficial gut bacteria can use in turn. On the other hand, these are short-chain fatty acids that provide energy to your intestinal cells and thus contribute to a stronger intestinal wall (or intestinal lining). As a result, harmful substances are less likely to leak through the intestinal wall.
Ruminococcoides bromii, for example, uses resistant starch from our food. These are starch molecules that “escape” or are resistant to digestion in your small intestine and consequently end up in your gut. There, this bacterium converts the resistant starch into butyrate. This is also a beneficial short-chain fatty acid that provides energy to your intestinal cells and thus contributes to a healthy intestinal environment. Butyrate is also able to reduce inflammation. In this way, gut bacteria also strengthen your immune system and maintain peace in your gut.
In addition, some Ruminococcoides species can also produce B vitamins such as vitamin B2 or riboflavin, which contributes to the vitamin balance in your gut. Riboflavin plays a central role in our VIAB2L study, allowing us to investigate this further. Interesting! 🙂
Although many Ruminococcoides species such as Ruminococcoides bromii are beneficial, some studies show that certain species, such as Ruminococcoides gnavus, may be associated with inflammatory diseases. This emphasizes that context and species are important.
In short, a fiber-rich diet is well suited to Ruminococcoides. This bacterium works hard behind the scenes to keep your digestion running smoothly and your immune system in balance. Due to its ability to break down resistant starch and produce butyrate, Ruminococcoides bromii in particular is on the radar as a potential future probiotic. What are probiotics again? Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer a health benefit on the host when administered in adequate amounts. So they are definitely useful for further research! 🙂
Does this bacterium occur elsewhere?
Ruminococcoides feels most at home in your gut. When this bacterium moves outside its familiar environment, it cannot survive very well because it is very sensitive to oxygen. Ruminococcoides has also been found in ruminants such as sheep and cows. This makes it clear that this bacterium likes to reside in a host and relies on the food that is consumed (for example, plant fibers).