A gene-targeted approach to investigate the intestinal butyrate-producing bacterial community

Butyrate plays an important role in human gut health. Bacteria producing butyrate are phylogenetically diverse, which hinders their accurate detection based on conventional phylogenetic markers. In this study we describe a gene-targeted approach for 454 pyrotag sequencing for the final genes in the two primary bacterial butyrate synthesispathways, butyryl-CoA:acetate CoA-transferase (but) and butyrate kinase (buk). The establishment and early succession of butyrate-producing communities in four ulcerative colitis patients who underwent colectomy with ileal pouch anal anastomosis was monitored and compared to three control samples from healthy colons.