Gordonibacter

Overview

Gordonibacter is a genus of Gram-positive, strictly anaerobic gut bacteria within the phylum Actinobacteria. It is recognized as a key participant in polyphenol metabolism, producing bioactive metabolites including equol (from dietary isoflavones) and urolithins (from ellagic acid and ellagitannins).

These metabolites have anti-inflammatory and estrogenic properties, making Gordonibacter functionally relevant to estrogen-dependent and neuroinflammatory conditions. Fecal metabolomic studies in endometriosis mouse models show altered polyphenol metabolite profiles consistent with Gordonibacter depletion ([1]), while microbial metabolite analyses in multiple sclerosis identify reduced urolithin-producing taxa as part of the broader dysbiotic pattern ([2]).

Cross-References

  • equol — bioactive metabolite produced by Gordonibacter
  • polyphenols — dietary substrates for Gordonibacter metabolism
  • endometriosis — condition where Gordonibacter is depleted
  • multiple sclerosis — neuroinflammatory condition with altered polyphenol metabolism
  • estrobolome — functional overlap with estrogen-metabolizing gut taxa

References (6)

  1. Zhexin Ni, Shuai Sun, Yanli Bi et al. (2020). Ni 2020 — Fecal Metabolomics and Gut Microbiota Correlation in Endometriosis Mice. American Journal of Reproductive Immunology. doi:10.1111/aji.13307
  2. Eduardo Duarte-Silva, Sven G. Meuth, Christina Alves Peixoto (2022). Microbial Metabolites in Multiple Sclerosis: Implications for Pathogenesis and Treatment. Frontiers in Neuroscience. doi:10.3389/fnins.2022.885031
  3. Keer Zhou, Ancha Baranova, Hongbao Cao et al. (2024). Zhou 2024 — Gut Microbiome and Schizophrenia: Insights from Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization. Schizophrenia (Nature Partner Journal). doi:10.1038/s41537-024-00497-7
  4. Bucciero C, Croce A, Castellano G et al. (2026). The Diet-Multiple Sclerosis Connection: Oxidative Stress and Emerging Mechanisms. Molecular Neurobiology. doi:10.1007/s12035-026-05748-5
  5. Thirion F, Sellebjerg F, Fan Y et al. (2023). The Gut Microbiota in Multiple Sclerosis Varies with Disease Activity. Genome Medicine. doi:10.1186/s13073-022-01148-1
  6. Stefan Heinzel, Sepehr Rahnemaiard, Daniela Berg (2021). Heinzel 2021 -- Urolithins: Potential Biomarkers of Gut Dysbiosis and Disease Stage in Parkinson's Patients. Nutrients

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