Gut microbes isolated by the spore germination induction method

2025/08/07

Our research aims to isolate unidentified and unclassified bacteria from the human gut and to develop bioresources from the perspective of securing microbial resources and their utilization. Especially, gut microbes are relevant to human physiological functions and various diseases, and are of critical importance in various industrial fields including drug development; for example, Waltera acetigignens (JCM 36210), Anaerostipes caccae (JCM 13470^T) and Anaerostipes hominis (JCM 32275^T), which have been suggested to form spores, produce butyric acid. Therefore, it is expected that they will be further investigated as probiotics in the future. Above-mentioned bacterial species are known to form spores to protect their cells from stresses such as heat and acidity and to become resting forms. Cultivation requires stimuli to induce germination, which is known to be difficult due to the diversity of germination factors among bacterial species. Therefore, we introduced a new culture method to induce spore germination by sterilizing liquid culture medium from fecal material and adding it to fecal material.
As a result, Bacterial species of the genera Anaerobutyricum, Roseburia, Ruminococcus, and Waltera were isolated which are expected to be probiotics. In addition, a number of bacterial species that are expected to be new species were also isolated. The culture method to induce spore germination as described above is expected to not only contribute to the isolation of bacteria, but also to a better understanding of the original potential of bacteria that cannot be demonstrated in a resting forms.

References
Sakamoto et al. 2024. Isolation and characterization of a new Waltera
species and reclassification of Brotolimicola acetigignens Hitch et al.
2022 as Waltera acetigignens comb. nov.
Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol., 74: 006381.
DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.006381

Kadowaki et al. 2023. Spore-forming properties and enhanced oxygen
tolerance of butyrate-producing Anaerostipes spp.
Anaerobe., 82: 102752
DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2023.102752

Spore-cell of Waltera acetigignens (JCM 36210)

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