Cutibacterium acnes
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Its ID gene: the stretch scientists read to tell microbes apart. Each bar is one letter of its DNA. Every species has its own order of letters, so the pattern works like a fingerprint. Close relatives share most of it.
16S rRNA gene, V4 region: the 253 letters between the standard primers (515F/806R), which are the same in every species. One reference sequence; strains can differ by a letter or two. NCBI NR_040847.1
Formerly Bacillus acnes.
Small for a gut microbe: longer than 28% of the 2,354 we have genomes for.
60% G+C, higher than 75% of gut microbes.
To scale: if its ID gene were 1 cm long, its genome would stretch 17 meters. Yours would stretch 21 kilometers. One reference genome; strains vary. NCBI GCF_006739385.1
What it can do
- Can make propionate A short-chain fatty acid, mostly used by the liver.
- Can ferment fiber Breaks down dietary fiber that our own enzymes can't. 1 of 38 strains can
Not seen in its genomes or lab tests: make butyrate, make lactic acid, eat inulin, eat resistant starch, eat pectin, use lactose, feed on gut mucus, change bile acids, make B vitamins, make hydrogen sulfide, make methane.
All 13 capabilities and their evidence
| Capability | Verdict | Genome analysis | Lab tests | Published research |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Can make butyrate | Not seen | 0 of 81 genomes | — | No papers |
| Can make propionate | Can | 81 of 81 genomes | — | No papers |
| Can make lactic acid | Not seen | 0 of 81 genomes | — | No papers |
| Can ferment fiber | Some strains | 0 of 81 genomes | 1 of 38 strains · strip test | No papers |
| Can eat inulin | Not seen | 0 of 81 genomes | 0 of 2 strains · strip test | No papers |
| Can eat resistant starch | Not seen | 0 of 81 genomes | — | No papers |
| Can eat pectin | Not seen | 0 of 81 genomes | — | No papers |
| Can use lactose | Not seen | 0 of 81 genomes | 0 of 14 strains | No papers |
| Can feed on gut mucus | Not seen | 0 of 81 genomes | — | No papers |
| Can change bile acids | Not seen | 0 of 81 genomes | — | No papers |
| Can make B vitamins | Not seen | 0 of 81 genomes | — | No papers |
| Can make hydrogen sulfide | Not seen | 0 of 81 genomes | — | No papers |
| Can make methane | Not seen | 0 of 81 genomes | — | No papers |
AGORA2 (Heinken et al. 2023) via VMH, CC BY 4.0 · BacDive (DSMZ), CC BY 4.0 · NJC19 (Lim et al., Scientific Data 2020), CC0
In healthy guts
Found in 1.1% of healthy people.
- largest Segatella copri 6.2%
- 2nd largest Phocaeicola vulgatus 5.0%
- 3rd largest Faecalibacterium prausnitzii 4.7%
- 4th largest Bacteroides uniformis 3.2%
- 5th largest Agathobacter rectalis 2.5%
- 6th largest Alistipes putredinis 2.3%
- 7th largest Bifidobacterium longum 2.1%
- 8th largest Ruminococcus bromii 1.8%
- top 10% Cutibacterium acnes 0.04%
- 2,169 other microbes, each a sliver 56.6%
- 15.6%
On average, 0.04% of the microbes in a healthy gut: larger than 90% of species’ slices.
Every group, drawn the same way. Only some samples record age or sex, so each group says how many people it comes from. Tap one to see it above.
In conditions
Compared with healthy people in the same studies, it’s less common in 1 condition and more common in none. Only studies that had both are counted.
A difference is an association: it doesn’t mean this microbe causes, prevents or treats any of these.
Strongest first, then the biggest gap · Each figure is 10 people