Priestia megaterium
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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_117473.1
Formerly Bacillus megaterium.
Among the largest for a gut microbe: longer than 93% of the 2,354 we have genomes for.
38% G+C, higher than 20% of gut microbes.
To scale: if its ID gene were 1 cm long, its genome would stretch 38 meters. Yours would stretch 21 kilometers. One reference genome; strains vary. NCBI GCF_006094495.1
What it can do
- Can make lactic acid What yogurt bacteria make; other microbes turn it into butyrate.
- Mixed evidence Can make B vitamins Folate, B12, riboflavin and others. Published research reports it; genome analysis found it in none of 6 genomes.
- Can ferment fiber Breaks down dietary fiber that our own enzymes can't.
- Can eat inulin A fiber in onions, garlic, leeks, chicory and bananas (also sold as FOS).
- Can use lactose The sugar in milk and dairy.
Not seen in its genomes: make butyrate, make propionate, eat resistant starch, eat pectin, feed on gut mucus, change bile acids, 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 6 genomes | — | No papers |
| Can make propionate | Not seen | 0 of 6 genomes | — | No papers |
| Can make lactic acid | Can | 5 of 6 genomes | — | No papers |
| Can ferment fiber | Can | 6 of 6 genomes | 7 of 7 strains · strip test | No papers |
| Can eat inulin | Can | 6 of 6 genomes | 2 of 7 strains · strip test Strip tests often miss fiber-eaters, so this doesn't override the genomes. | No papers |
| Can eat resistant starch | Not seen | 0 of 6 genomes | — | No papers |
| Can eat pectin | Not seen | 0 of 6 genomes | — | No papers |
| Can use lactose | Can | 6 of 6 genomes | 4 of 8 strains | No papers |
| Can feed on gut mucus | Not seen | 0 of 6 genomes | — | No papers |
| Can change bile acids | Not seen | 0 of 6 genomes | — | No papers |
| Can make B vitamins | Mixed evidence | 0 of 6 genomes | — | Papers say yes |
| Can make hydrogen sulfide | Not seen | 0 of 6 genomes | — | No papers |
| Can make methane | Not seen | 0 of 6 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 under 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%
- Priestia megaterium under 0.01%
- 2,169 other microbes, each a sliver 56.7%
- 15.6%
On average, a sliver, under 0.01% of the microbes in a healthy gut.
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.