Mediterraneibacter gnavus
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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_036800.1
Formerly Hominicoccus gnavus.
Mid-sized for a gut microbe: longer than 60% of the 2,354 we have genomes for.
43% G+C, higher than 37% of gut microbes.
To scale: if its ID gene were 1 cm long, its genome would stretch 24 meters. Yours would stretch 21 kilometers. One reference genome; strains vary. NCBI GCF_009831375.1
What it can do
- Can make lactic acid What yogurt bacteria make; other microbes turn it into butyrate.
- Can ferment fiber Breaks down dietary fiber that our own enzymes can't.
- Mixed evidence Can eat inulin A fiber in onions, garlic, leeks, chicory and bananas (also sold as FOS). Published research reports it; genome analysis found it in none of 5 genomes.
- Can feed on gut mucus Lives on mucin, the mucus that lines the gut.
Not seen in its genomes or lab tests: make butyrate, make propionate, eat resistant starch, eat pectin, use lactose, 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 5 genomes | — | No papers |
| Can make propionate | Not seen | 0 of 5 genomes | — | No papers |
| Can make lactic acid | Can | 5 of 5 genomes | — | No papers |
| Can ferment fiber | Can | 5 of 5 genomes | 3 of 5 strains · strip test | Papers say yes |
| Can eat inulin | Mixed evidence | 0 of 5 genomes | — | Papers say yes |
| Can eat resistant starch | Not seen | 0 of 5 genomes | — | No papers |
| Can eat pectin | Not seen | 0 of 5 genomes | — | No papers |
| Can use lactose | Not seen | 0 of 5 genomes | 0 of 1 strain | No papers |
| Can feed on gut mucus | Can | 5 of 5 genomes | — | Papers say yes |
| Can change bile acids | Not seen | 0 of 5 genomes | — | No papers |
| Can make B vitamins | Not seen | 0 of 5 genomes | — | No papers |
| Can make hydrogen sulfide | Not seen | 0 of 5 genomes | — | No papers |
| Can make methane | Not seen | 0 of 5 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 62% 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 40 Mediterraneibacter gnavus 0.5%
- 2,169 other microbes, each a sliver 56.1%
- 15.6%
On average, 0.5% of the microbes in a healthy gut: among the 40 largest 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 none and more common in 5 conditions. 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- COVID-19 As many carry it in people with it Healthy 90% With it 86%
Carriers have about twice as much, in 3 of 3 studies (0.48% → 0.91% of their gut microbes).
- Chronic kidney failure As many carry it in people with it Healthy 91% With it 93%
Carriers have about twice as much, in 2 of 2 studies (0.18% → 0.41% of their gut microbes).
In studies of how people live
“Higher” is the study’s measure: on average, a bigger share of gut bacteria across everyone in the group, carriers or not. It isn’t how many people carry it. An association the authors report, measured once per person. It doesn’t mean a diet changes this microbe, or that the microbe affects health.
Recent research
Source: PubMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine · 473 linked papers, last 10 years