Shaping human gut community assembly and butyrate production by controlling the arginine dihydrolase pathway (Updated April 14, 2024).

This article discusses the role of the arginine dihydrolase pathway (arc operon) in shaping the assembly of the human gut microbiota and the production of butyrate, a health-relevant metabolite. The study used synthetic control of gene expression to investigate the effects of the arc operon in probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 in vitro and in the murine gut. The results showed that the arc operon stabilized environmental pH and reduced variability in community composition. It also altered the abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria and enhanced butyrate production within a physiologically relevant pH range. The study suggests that this framework could be applied more broadly to understand the contribution of molecular pathways to microbial community dynamics and functions. [Extracted from the article]