Plate · Bacillota

genus · NCBI 1263

Ruminococcus

Species7

Products0 across its species

Samples39,743

The genus

Species in this genus

Include unnamed strains (7)

Species	Healthy guts ↓ 0–100%	Products
Ruminococcus bromii	63%	0
Ruminococcus bicirculans (ex Wegman et al. 2014)	55%	0
Ruminococcus callidus	25%	0
Ruminococcus bovis	6.0%	0
Ruminococcus champanellensis	2.9%	0
Ruminococcus gauvreauii	1.4%	0
Ruminococcus flavefaciens	0%	0
Across the genus	82%	0

* Counted in the same healthy people as the species (whole-genome samples). All bars use the same 0–100% scale. A product with two Ruminococcus species counts once in the genus total.

What they are

Its species' DNA

A C G T ? Not read clearly in the reference sequence

Genome sizes · 6 Ruminococcus species

Shortest we have Mycoplasmoides genitalium 0.6M

⋮ 340 shorter than any Ruminococcus

Ruminococcus bromii 2.1M

Ruminococcus bovis 2.4M

Ruminococcus champanellensis 2.6M

Ruminococcus callidus 3.2M

Ruminococcus flavefaciens 3.6M

Ruminococcus gauvreauii 4.1M

⋮ 638 longer than any Ruminococcus

Longest we have Bradyrhizobium altum 9.8M

Ruminococcus genomes run from 2.1M to 4.1M: mid-sized for gut microbes.

One reference genome per species; strains vary.

Their ID genes, lined up: shared stretches form solid stripes

16S gene, V4 region, from one reference sequence per species, aligned so the same positions line up. A blank is a gap: letters other species have and this one lacks. Switch to “Only where they differ” to fade the letters they share. Grey letters weren’t read clearly; they never count as a difference.

From its species' genomes and lab tests

What its species can do

A species counts when most of its strains can. Not measured in anyone's gut. 1 of its 7 species isn't in either source yet.

Can ferment fiber 5 of 6 species R. bromii, R. bicirculans (ex Wegman et al. 2014), R. callidus, R. champanellensis, R. flavefaciens
Can make lactic acid 3 of 6 species R. bromii, R. callidus, R. flavefaciens
Can use lactose 2 of 6 species R. callidus, R. flavefaciens
Can eat resistant starch 1 of 6 species R. bromii
Can eat pectin 1 of 6 species R. flavefaciens
Can make butyrate 0 of 6 species None of its species
Can make propionate 0 of 6 species None of its species
Can eat inulin 0 of 6 species None of its species
Can feed on gut mucus 0 of 6 species None of its species
Can change bile acids 0 of 6 species None of its species
Can make B vitamins 0 of 6 species None of its species
Can make hydrogen sulfide 0 of 6 species None of its species
Can make methane 0 of 6 species None of its species

What’s typical · a description, not a comparison

In healthy guts

Everyone · 12,213 people · 129 studies

How common

Found in 82% of healthy people.

How big a slice of the gut

largest Bacteroides 9.8%
2nd largest Phocaeicola 9.1%
3rd largest Segatella 6.4%
4th largest Bifidobacterium 6.2%
5th largest Faecalibacterium 5.4%
6th largest Alistipes 5.2%
7th largest Blautia 3.6%
8th largest Ruminococcus 3.0%
650 other microbes, each a sliver 32.3%
18.9%

On average, 3.0% of the microbes in a healthy gut: the 8th largest slice.

By age and sex

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.

By age

367 people · 7.9% carry it 0.2% of the microbes top 50

198 people · 5 studies 82% carry it 2.4% of the microbes 7th largest

57 people · 44% carry it 0.6% of the microbes top 30

1,283 people · 27 studies 87% carry it 2.3% of the microbes 7th largest

142 people · 15 studies 86% carry it 2.1% of the microbes 8th largest

By sex

2,063 people · 81% carry it 2.7% of the microbes 9th largest

1,530 people · 29 studies 80% carry it 2.8% of the microbes 8th largest

Compared within studies that had both

In conditions

Compared with healthy people in the same studies, it’s less common in 16 conditions and more common in 1 condition. 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

Inflammatory bowel disease 120 people · 4 studies Less common in people with it Healthy 84% With it 53%
Systemic lupus erythematosus 62 people · 3 studies Less common in people with it Healthy 92% With it 69%
Crohn's disease 1,658 people · 15 studies Less common in people with it Healthy 73% With it 51%
Ulcerative colitis 1,015 people · 13 studies Less common in people with it Healthy 73% With it 55%
Breast cancer 673 people · 3 studies Less common in people with it Healthy 86% With it 73%
COVID-19 524 people · 9 studies Less common in people with it Healthy 65% With it 49%
Chronic fatigue syndrome 302 people · 3 studies Less common in people with it Healthy 86% With it 74%
Asthma 254 people · 3 studies As many carry it in people with it Healthy 88% With it 87%
Carriers have more, in 3 of 3 studies (1.7% → 2.2% of their gut microbes).
Diarrhea 263 people · 2 studies Less common in people with it Healthy 69% With it 25%
Neuroblastoma 95 people · 2 studies Less common in people with it Healthy 79% With it 55%
Gastrointestinal disease 117 people · 2 studies Less common in people with it Healthy 87% With it 70%
Spinal cord injury 75 people · 2 studies As many carry it in people with it Healthy 89% With it 75%
Carriers have about a third as much, in 2 of 2 studies (0.89% → 0.30% of their gut microbes).
Liver cirrhosis 45 people · 2 studies As many carry it in people with it Healthy 86% With it 93%
Carriers have about a third as much, in 2 of 2 studies (0.99% → 0.21% of their gut microbes).
Autoimmune diseases of the nervous system 16 people · 1 study More common in people with it Healthy 6.3% With it 75%
Campylobacter infections 26 people · 1 study Less common in people with it Healthy 71% With it 12%
Cystic fibrosis 52 people · 1 study Less common in people with it Healthy 66% With it 9.6%
Calicivirus infections 31 people · 1 study Less common in people with it Healthy 64% With it 13%
Blood cancers 29 people · 1 study Less common in people with it Healthy 93% With it 48%
Mycoplasma pneumonia 81 people · 1 study Less common in people with it Healthy 62% With it 30%
Loss of appetite 50 people · 1 study Less common in people with it Healthy 88% With it 62%

PubMed · human studies and reviews first

Recent research

No recent human studies or reviews yet. Probiome follows PubMed for the few hundred most-studied microbes; rarer species often only show up in large surveys. Search PubMed for this genus ↗

Ruminococcus

Species in this genus

Its species' DNA

What its species can do

In healthy guts

Where these numbers come from

In conditions

Where these numbers come from

Also compared · 121 conditions

Studies disagree · 2

No meaningful difference · 119

Recent research