This page serves as the family-level hub for Lachnospiraceae, connecting the individual genus and species pages (roseburia, blautia, anaerostipes, eubacterium rectale) with the overarching ecological and metabolic framework that defines the family. For the primary entity page with detailed per-disease depletion data, see lachnospiraceae.
Why a Family-Level Page?
Lachnospiraceae is the single most frequently referenced family across the entire WikiBiome knowledge base, appearing in 97+ source pages. Many studies report findings at the family level rather than at genus or species resolution, particularly 16S rRNA studies using V3-V4 amplicons where Lachnospiraceae subgroups (NK4A136, NK4B4, UCG-001, UCG-004, UCG-006, UCG-008, UCG-010) cannot be resolved to named genera. This page captures those family-level findings.
The Iron-Sulfur Vulnerability
The defining metabolic feature of Lachnospiraceae from a metallomics perspective is the iron-sulfur cluster dependency of their butyrate synthesis pathway:
- The butyryl-CoA dehydrogenase complex that converts crotonyl-CoA to butyryl-CoA requires [4Fe-4S] and [2Fe-2S] clusters for electron transfer.
- These iron-sulfur clusters are vulnerable to displacement by toxic metals. Lead exposure (100-500 ppm, 8 weeks) in mice significantly decreased Lachnospiraceae alongside Ruminococcaceae and oscillibacter, while increasing oxidative stress defense pathways (rosenfeld 2017 gut dysbiosis animals environmental chemicals, animal-model).
- Cadmium exposure similarly depletes Lachnospiraceae members, shifting the community from saccharolytic (SCFA-producing) to proteolytic (toxin-producing) fermentation (liu 2023 cadmium microbiota metabolome rats, animal-model).
This molecular vulnerability explains why Lachnospiraceae depletion is the most universal microbiome signal across diseases: any condition involving metal dysregulation, oxidative stress, or inflammation will preferentially harm the iron-sulfur-dependent butyrate producers.
Subgroups Commonly Reported
Many source pages reference Lachnospiraceae subgroups that lack formal genus names:
| Subgroup | Common Associations |
|---|---|
| NK4A136 group | Restored by ketogenic diet in CRC; depleted in CVD |
| NK4B4 group | Altered by cadmium exposure; part of CAD signature |
| UCG-001 | Negatively correlated with PPD severity; negatively correlated with 17-HAMD scores |
| UCG-004 | Depleted in IBD |
| UCG-006 | Positively correlated with anti-cancer cytokines after FMT |
| UCG-008 | Altered in ASD |
| UCG-010 | Depleted in MS |
Cross-Disease Depletion Pattern
The family's depletion spans virtually every disease category in this knowledge base:
- Neuropsychiatric: Parkinson's, MS, ASD, schizophrenia, postpartum depression
- Cardiometabolic: CVD, CAD, atherosclerosis, hypertension, type 2 diabetes
- Gastrointestinal: IBD (Crohn's and UC), CRC
- Autoimmune: MS, Hashimoto's thyroiditis
In postpartum depression specifically, Lachnospiraceae UCG-001 was negatively correlated with both EPDS and 17-HAMD severity scores, meaning higher abundance of this subgroup associated with lower depression severity (zhou 2020 fecal microbiota ppd, cross-sectional).
Relationship to Metal Exposure
The consistent pattern across animal studies is:
- Heavy metal exposure (Pb, Cd, As) → Lachnospiraceae depletion
- Lachnospiraceae depletion → reduced butyrate → impaired epithelial barrier
- Barrier failure → increased translocation → systemic inflammation
- Systemic inflammation → disease progression
This cascade positions Lachnospiraceae as the first domino in metal-driven dysbiosis, making its abundance a potential biomarker for environmental metal exposure.
Cross-References
- lachnospiraceae — primary entity page with detailed disease-specific depletion data
- roseburia — key butyrate-producing genus within the family
- blautia — acetate-producing genus; depleted in multiple conditions
- anaerostipes — lactate-utilizing butyrate producer
- eubacterium rectale — major butyrate producer; depleted in CVD and neurodegenerative disease
- butyrate — primary metabolic product
- iron — iron-sulfur cluster dependency for butyrate synthesis
- cadmium — toxic metal causing Lachnospiraceae depletion
- lead — toxic metal causing Lachnospiraceae depletion
- short chain fatty acids — metabolic output of the family