Diversity of H-2/CO2-utilizing acetogenic bacteria from feces of non-methane-producing humans

The purpose of this work was to study H-2/CO2-utilizing acetogenic population in the colons of non-methane-producing individuals harboring low numbers of methanogenic archaea. Among the 50 H-2-consuming acetogenic strains isolated from four fecal samples and an in vitro semi-continuous culture enrichment, with H-2/CO2 as sole energy source, 20 were chosen for further studies. All isolates were Gram-positive strict anaerobes. Different morphological types were identified, providing evidence of generic diversity. All acetogenic strains characterized used H-2/CO2 to form acetate as the sole metabolite, following the stoichiometric equation of reductive acetogenesis. These bacteria were also able to use a variety of organic compounds for growth. The major end product of glucose fermentation was acetate, except for strains of cocci that mainly produced lactate. Yeast extract was not necessary, but was stimulatory for growth and acetogenesis from H-2/CO2.