A close look at pentose metabolism of gut bacteria.

In the human gut, plant dietary fibers are broken down to hexoses (C6) and pentoses (C5) and subsequently fermented by gut bacteria, producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). The biochemistry of C5 metabolism has not been studied well in gut microorganisms. Garschagen et al. provide a new perspective in a detailed biochemical study on C5 metabolism of the abundant Prevotella copri, which uses the sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphate pathway instead of the pentose phosphate pathway.