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Impact of Intestinal Microbial Communities upon Health

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Beneficial Microorganisms in Multicellular Life Forms

Abstract

The microbial community of the human large intestine plays an important role in nutrition and health. Molecular analyses have revealed the diversity of gut bacteria; although some dominant species are abundant in most individuals, humans show considerable inter-individual variation in the strain composition of their intestinal microbiota. It is helpful therefore to define broad functional groups (‘clubs’) that share one or more characteristics of interest. This approach has been applied to the formation by microbial fermentation of short chain fatty acids that are actively absorbed by the host as energy sources. A combination of targeted molecular detection and information on cultured isolates is helping to reveal the impact of diet upon groups responsible for the fermentation of particular dietary carbohydrates and the formation of butyrate, and should provide the basis for theoretical modelling of this complex community.

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Acknowledgment

The authors would like to acknowledge support from the Research and Science Division of the Scottish Government.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Microbial Ecology Group, Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Aberdeen, Greenburn Road, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, AB21 9SB, UK

    Harry J. Flint, Sylvia H. Duncan & Petra Louis

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  1. Harry J. Flint
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  2. Sylvia H. Duncan
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  3. Petra Louis
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Harry J. Flint .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Dept. of Molecular Microbiology and Biot, University of Tel Aviv, Ramat Aviv, 69978, Israel

    Eugene Rosenberg

  2. , Dept. of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Tel Aviv, Ramat Aviv, 69978, Israel

    Uri Gophna

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Flint, H.J., Duncan, S.H., Louis, P. (2012). Impact of Intestinal Microbial Communities upon Health. In: Rosenberg, E., Gophna, U. (eds) Beneficial Microorganisms in Multicellular Life Forms. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-21680-0_18

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