Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 26, 2026

Bile Salt-induced Biofilm Formation in Enteric Pathogens: Techniques for Identification and Quantification
Published on: May 6, 2018
Discovering novel bile protection systems in Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 through functional genomics
Lorena Ruiz1, Aldert Zomer, Mary O'Connell-Motherway
1Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry of Dairy Products, Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias-CSIC, Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain.
Abstract:
Tolerance of gut commensals to bile salt exposure is an important feature for their survival in and colonization of the intestinal environment. A transcriptomic approach was employed to study the response of Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 to bile, allowing the identification of a number of bile-induced genes with a range of predicted functions. The potential roles of a selection of these bile-inducible genes in bile protection were analyzed following heterologous expression in Lactococcus lactis. Genes encoding three transport systems belonging to the major facilitator superfamily (MFS), Bbr_0838, Bbr_0832, and Bbr_1756, and three ABC-type transporters, Bbr_0406-0407, Bbr_1804-1805, and Bbr_1826-1827, were thus investigated and shown to provide enhanced resistance and survival to bile exposure. This work significantly improves our understanding as to how bifidobacteria respond to and survive bile exposure.
Related Concept Videos
Bacterial Flora of the Large Intestine
The normal gut flora of the colon plays a critical role in generating essential vitamins such as vitamins K, B5, and B7.
Probiotics
Bacterial Phylum Firmicutes
Bacterial Phylum Verrucomicrobiota
Modern Molecular Taxonomy
Microbiota of the Large Intestine
