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Functional Characterization of Novel Faecalibacterium prausnitzii Strains Isolated from Healthy Volunteers: A Step Forward in the Use of F. prausnitzii as a Next-Generation Probiotic

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Martín, Rebeca, Miquel, Sylvie, Benevides, Leandro, Bridonneau, Chantal, Robert, Véronique, Hudault, Sylvie, Chain, Florian, Berteau, Olivier +6 more·2017·Frontiers in Microbiology
DOI 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01226PMC PMC5492426
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Abstract

Faecalibacterium prausnitzii is a major member of the Firmicutes phylum and one of the most abundant bacteria in the healthy human microbiota. F. prausnitzii depletion has been reported in several intestinal disorders, and more consistently in Crohn’s disease (CD) patients. Despite its importance in human health, only few microbiological studies have been performed to isolate novel F. prausnitzii strains in order to better understand the biodiversity and physiological diversity of this beneficial commensal species. In this study, we described a protocol to isolate novel F. prausnitzii strains from feces of healthy volunteers as well as a deep molecular and metabolic characterization of these isolated strains. These F. prausnitzii strains were classified in two phylogroups and 3 clusters according to 16S rRNA sequences and results support that they would belong to two different genomospecies or genomovars as no genome sequencing has been performed in this work. Differences in enzymes production, antibiotic resistance and immunomodulatory properties were found to be strain-dependent. So far, all F. prausnitzii isolates share some characteristic such as i) the lack of epithelial cells adhesion, plasmids, anti-microbial and hemolytic activity and ii) the presence of DNAse activity. Furthermore, Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA) production was assessed for the novel isolates as these products influence intestinal homeostasis. Indeed, the butyrate production has been correlated to the capacity to induce IL-10, an anti-inflammatory cytokine, in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) but not to the ability to block IL-8 secretion in TNF-α-stimulated HT-29 cells, reinforcing the hypothesis of a complex anti-inflammatory pathway driven by F. prausnitzii. Altogether, our results suggest that some F. prausnitzii strains could represent good candidates as next-generation probiotic.

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  • Butyrate is a key energy source for intestinal epithelial cells and contributes to barrier integrity, T-cell regulation, pathogen resistance, inflammatory response, and metabolic homeostasis.

    “Butyrate is a key energy source for intestinal epithelial cells and contributes to barrier integrity, T-cell regulation, pathogen resistance, inflammatory response, and metabolic homeostasis. 36,37”

    From Comparative Genomic Insights into Pangenome Diversity and Functional Adaptation of Akkermansia and Faecalibacterium as Gut-Associated Next-Generation Probiotics: A Systematic Review (2026) · cites this paper as [37]

    In Results and discussion, under “Ability to stimulate the immune response” (page unavailable), the paper reports anti-inflammatory effects of butyrate in cell assays, while noting that those effects vary by dose, timing, and cell model. It does not establish that butyrate is an energy source for intestinal epithelial cells or that it contributes to barrier integrity, T-cell regulation, pathogen resistance, or metabolic homeostasis; its discussion of regulatory T cells concerns F. prausnitzii rather than butyrate specifically. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • In Faecalibacterium, butyrate and secreted anti-inflammatory metabolites have been associated with inhibition of NFκB activation and IL-8 production.

    “In Faecalibacterium, butyrate and secreted anti-inflammatory metabolites have been associated with inhibition of NFκ B activation and IL-8 production. 37”

    From Comparative Genomic Insights into Pangenome Diversity and Functional Adaptation of Akkermansia and Faecalibacterium as Gut-Associated Next-Generation Probiotics: A Systematic Review (2026) · cites this paper as [37]

    In Results and discussion (page unavailable), the paper reports that butyrate blocked IL-8 production under the tested conditions and that a protein found in F. prausnitzii supernatant blocked both NF-κB activation and IL-8 production. It does not say that butyrate blocked NF-κB or that the anti-inflammatory metabolites it names blocked either outcome. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Faecalibacterium displayed extracellular polysaccharides or capsule genes, pilus-related orthologs, bile salt hydrolase genes, IL-10-associated responses, and strain-specific anti-inflammatory activity.

    “In contrast, Faecalibacterium displayed extracellular polysaccharides or capsule genes, pilus-related orthologs, bile salt hydrolase genes, IL-10-associated responses, and strain-specific anti-inflammatory activity. 15,32,33,37”

    From Comparative Genomic Insights into Pangenome Diversity and Functional Adaptation of Akkermansia and Faecalibacterium as Gut-Associated Next-Generation Probiotics: A Systematic Review (2026) · cites this paper as [37]

    The Results and discussion section, under “Ability to stimulate the immune response” (page unavailable), reports IL-10 responses and differences among strains in their anti-inflammatory effects. It also mentions an extracellular polymeric matrix, but our copy does not establish extracellular polysaccharide or capsule genes, pilus-related orthologs, or bile salt hydrolase genes; searches for those terms found no supporting passage. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Authors
Martín, R., Miquel, S., Benevides, L., Bridonneau, C., Robert, V., Hudault, S., Chain, F., Berteau, O., Azevedo, V., Chatel, J. M., Sokol, H., Bermúdez-Humarán, L. G., Thomas, M., & Langella, P.
Affiliations
  • AgroParisTech (FR)
  • Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
  • Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (BR)
  • Inserm (FR)
Corresponding author
Langella, Philippe
ORCID
Venue
Frontiers in Microbiology
Publisher
Frontiers Media SA
Published
2017-06-30
Volume
8
Pages
1226-1226
ISSN
1664-302X (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3389/fmicb.2017.01226
PMC
PMC5492426
OpenAlex
W2731046709
Cited by
398
References
5
Citations by year
2026: 26 · 2025: 38 · 2024: 32 · 2023: 44 · 2022: 60 · 2021: 67 · 2020: 56 · 2019: 44 · 2018: 27 · 2017: 4
FWCI
14.64
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Frontiers in Microbiology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
Fonds Unique Interministériel (34606, F1010012D)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Probiotics and Fermented Foods
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Keywords
Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, probiotics, strain isolation, human gut microbiome, phylogenetic groups, short-chain fatty acids, butyrate, IL-10, interleukin-8, anti-inflammatory activity, antibiotic resistance, DNase activity, immunomodulation, Crohn's disease, healthy volunteers

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