Getting better with bifidobacteria

Abstract

... The last 20 years has seen a tremendous increase in commercial and consequent scientific interest in members of the genus Bifidobacterium. Bifidobacteria are Gram‐positive procaryotes that naturally inhabit the gastrointestinal tract of humans and other warm‐blooded animals. Discovered at the start of the last century, bifidobacteria are considered as key commensals in human–microbe interactions, and are believed to play a pivotal role in maintaining a healthy gastrointestinal tract. Despite the generally accepted importance of bifidobacteria in gastrointestinal well‐being, the underlying molecular mechanisms by which these bacteria function as probiotic commensal organisms is far from understood. Recent genome sequencing has given us a revealing insight into the genetic make‐up of some members of the genus Bifidobacterium, although the availability of the full genomic sequence of complete bifidobacterial sequences represents only the first step in moving towards a better understanding of the biology of these organisms. This review will discuss the role that Bifidobacterium species play as a prominent probiotic component of our gastrointestinal microflora and provide some forthcoming insights into the general characteristics of Bifidobacterium genomes.