[Genes and gene clusters involved in microbial butyrate-producing pathway of human and animal gastrointestinal tract].

Human colon and animal digestive tract harbor large amount of butyrate-producing bacteria. The biosynthetic pathway of butyrate formation includes the central pathway from acetyl-CoA to butyryl-CoA and the last step converting butyryl-CoA to butyrate. The genes involved in the central pathway are clustered in genome but with different gene arrangements in different bacteria groups. The gene arrangements are coherent with their phylogenetic placements based on their 16S rRNA gene sequences. Recent researches have suggested that butyryl-CoA: acetate CoA-transferase play an important role in the last step of butyrate formation from butyryl-CoA and the genes are also widely found in bacterial strains producing butyrate. In this paper, combined with our own findings, we summarized advances in studying genes and gene clusters involved in butyrate formation.