Faecalibacterium prausnitzii strain:TS M3092 Genome sequencing

Clinical studies demonstrate that a microbiota-directed complementary food (MDCF) for repairing the immature gut communities of malnourished Bangladeshi children produces superior ponderal growth compared to a standard supplementary food. Here we characterize a fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) from a growth-associated Bangladeshi strain of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (Fp) whose abundance was increased by MDCF. Assays of purified Fp FAAH, 25 fatty acids and 39 amines revealed bidirectional catalytic activity with hydrolysis of multiple N-acylamines (including quorum-sensing N-acyl-homoserine lactones) and synthesis of various N-acyl amides with arginine the preferred amine donor. Fp FAAH has a divergent structure and is insensitive to inhibitors of human FAAH. Administration of C18:1-Arg/C18:1-His, the major N-acyl amino acid products of oleoylethanolamide metabolism by Fp FAAH to gnotobiotic mice suppressed pathways involved in immune activation in the small intestine. Analyses of fecal samples from undernourished, MDCF-treated Bangladeshi children disclosed significant negative correlations between levels of a Fp metagenome-assembled genome encoding this FAAH, Fp FAAH gene expression, and oleoylethanolamide and C18:1-Arg levels. These results indicate that Fp FAAH regulates intestinal levels of N-acylated amine signaling molecules, with therapeutic implications.