Megasphaera: NCBI 906, [genus]

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| Megasphaera| Megasphaera Rogosa 1971 (Approved Lists 1980) emend. Marchandin et al. 2003

1. Anaerobic Fermentation:

   • Megasphaera species are generally anaerobic bacteria, and they are capable of fermenting a variety of substrates. In the gut, they participate in the fermentation of dietary fibers and complex carbohydrates.

2. Short-Chain Fatty Acid Production:

   • As part of their metabolic activities, Megasphaera bacteria can produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) during the fermentation process. SCFAs, such as acetate, propionate, and butyrate, have been associated with various health benefits, including providing an energy source for colonic cells and influencing immune function.

3. Role in the Rumen of Ruminant Animals:

   • Some Megasphaera species are found in the rumen of ruminant animals, where they contribute to the digestion of fibrous plant materials through fermentation. The breakdown of complex carbohydrates in the rumen is important for the nutrition of ruminants.

4. Metabolism of Lactate:

   • Certain Megasphaera species are known for their ability to metabolize lactate. This characteristic is of interest in various environments, including the human gut, where the balance of lactate-producing and lactate-utilizing bacteria can influence gut health.

5. Influence on Gut Microbiota Composition:

   • The presence and abundance of Megasphaera species can contribute to the overall composition and diversity of the gut microbiota. Changes in the relative abundance of Megasphaera may be associated with specific dietary patterns or health conditions.

6. Associations with Gastrointestinal Disorders:

   • Some studies have investigated the association between Megasphaera and gastrointestinal disorders. For example, shifts in the abundance of Megasphaera have been observed in conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Other Sources for more information:

• Immune Epitope Database
• The NCBI taxonomy database
• UniProt
• Immune Epitope Taxonomy Database (IEDB)
• AI Engines For more Details: Perplexity  Kagi Labs  You 

Legend

• The interactions are based on data from 1000 healthy individuals using shotgun 10M reads Precision Biome, a provider in full conformity to EU regulations for health information
• The width of the lines indicates R² (the coefficient of determination)
• Green indicates positive slope
• Red indicates negative
• Interactions are not two way because incidence of each bacteria are different

Megasphaera impacts on other bacteria of the same rank

R2	Slope	Tax Name	Parent Chart
0.27687743306159973	0.5845922231674194	Exiguobacterium	Parent Taxa

Other bacteria of the same rank impacting Megasphaera

R2	Slope	Tax Name	Parent Chart
0.2520099878311157	0.5851430892944336	Acidaminococcus	Parent Taxa