Organism

Faecalibacterium prausnitzii is gram-positive, mesophilic, rod-shaped, anaerobic, and is one of the most abundant and important commensal bacteria of the human gut microbiota. It is non-spore forming and non-motile. These bacteria produce butyrate and other short-chain fatty acids through the fermentation of dietary fiber. (wiki)

Phylogenetic analysis of this species using the 16S marker gene has led to the identification of two primary groupings (or ‘phylogroups’) (ref). The physiology and behavior of this species is extremely interesting to microbiologists, both for its role as a producer of the short-chain fatty acid butyrate as well as its potential utility as a biomarker or biotherapeutic (ref).

Map

A collection of 197 reference genomes were downloaded from the NCBI Genome database on December 17, 2021 as part of a general survey of the normal human microbiota.

Notes

The distribution of genes across this species provides a useful demonstration of how distinct clades can be defined by their unique genomic content. In the image below, a handful of gene groups were highlighted because they are found across a specific sub-species level clade. By zooming in on the indicated regions in the interactive map above, you may inspect the specific genes which are found in these regions of the map.