Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 1, 2026

Applying Advanced In Vitro Culturing Technology to Study the Human Gut Microbiota
Published on: February 15, 2019
Correlation between faecal microbial community structure and cholesterol-to-coprostanol conversion in the human gut
Patrick Veiga1, Catherine Juste, Pascale Lepercq
1Unité d'Ecologie et Physiologie du Système Digestif, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Bâtiment 405, Domaine de Vilvert, 78352 Jouy-en-Josas, France.
Gut bacteria populations vary significantly in their ability to convert cholesterol to coprostanol. Higher numbers of coprostanoligenic bacteria correlate with more efficient cholesterol conversion, impacting gut microbial community structure.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Human Gut Microbiome
- Metabolic Activity
Background:
- Cholesterol metabolism in the human gut involves conversion to coprostanol by specific bacteria.
- The efficiency of this conversion varies greatly among individuals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between cholesterol-to-coprostanol conversion intensity and the population of coprostanoligenic bacteria.
- To explore the correlation between gut microbial community structure and conversion efficiency.
Main Methods:
- Assessed cholesterol-to-coprostanol conversion using the coprostanol-to-cholesterol ratio in human faeces.
- Quantified coprostanoligenic bacteria via the most probable number method.
- Analyzed microbial community structure using temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TTGE) of 16S rRNA gene amplicons.
Main Results:
- Faecal coprostanol-to-cholesterol ratios showed high inter-individual variability.
- Low converters had <10^6 cells/g faeces, while high converters had >=10^8 cells/g.
- TTGE profiles clustered separately for low and high converters, indicating a link between microbial community structure and conversion activity.
Conclusions:
- The population level of cultivable faecal coprostanoligenic bacteria correlates with cholesterol conversion intensity.
- Gut microbial community profiles, assessed by TTGE, reflect differences in cholesterol metabolism.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Cholesterol: Significance and Regulation
Considering cholesterol and...
Microbiota of the Stomach and Small Intestine
Microbiota of the Large Intestine
Functions of the Gut Microbiota
Dysbiosis of the Gut Microbiota
Microbiota Modulation by Antibiotics

