Roseburia intestinalis is a Gram-positive, obligate anaerobic member of the Lachnospiraceae family (Firmicutes). It is one of the most important Butyrate producers in the human colon, converting dietary fiber into butyrate—the primary energy source for colonocytes and a key regulator of intestinal immune homeostasis.
Type-strain-anchored Roseburia intestinalis reconstruction with nine slightly curved rods in five single and two paired groupings. Primary-description flagella are intentionally absent and their omission makes no motility claim; the plate is representative, non-diagnostic, and not a micrograph.
Scientific media record1 verified identifier
- Subject
- Roseburia intestinalistaxon · species
- Identifiers
- NCBITaxon:166486
- Review
- Editorial review completeIdentifiers authority-verified · Accessibility validated · · roseburia-intestinalis|roseburia-intestinalis-morphology-v1.webp
- Digital source
- Trained-algorithmic mediaCreated with a trained generative algorithm and reviewed by WikiBiome for subject identity, scientific framing, identifiers, provenance, and accessibility.
- Scientific basis
- Roseburia intestinalis — NCBI TaxonomyRoseburia intestinalis — LPSNRoseburia intestinalis sp. nov.Roseburia intestinalis type strain — BacDive
- License
- CC BY-SA 4.0Created
Metal Dependencies#
R. intestinalis requires iron for its electron transport chain and butyrate biosynthesis enzymes, yet it lacks the aggressive iron acquisition systems (siderophores) of Proteobacteria. This asymmetry means that when luminal iron rises during Metal-Driven Inflammation, iron-scavenging pathogens outcompete R. intestinalis, reducing butyrate output precisely when the gut needs it most.
Ecological Role#
In a healthy, fiber-rich colon, R. intestinalis is a dominant fermenter. Its butyrate output maintains epithelial oxygen consumption, preserving the anaerobic environment that favors beneficial obligate anaerobes over facultative pathogens. Its flagellin interacts with TLR5 to promote anti-inflammatory IL-10 production.
Loss of R. intestinalis initiates a vicious cycle: less butyrate, more oxygen, more Proteobacteria, more inflammation.
Conditions Associated#
Depletion of R. intestinalis is a consistent signature across Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Type 2 Diabetes, and Colorectal Cancer. Its abundance responds positively to dietary fiber interventions and negatively to high-fat, low-fiber diets and oral iron supplementation.
Cross-References#
- butyrate—primary metabolic output
- Iron—growth requirement, competitive vulnerability
- Lachnospiraceae—taxonomic family
- Dysbiosis—depleted in inflammatory states
References 5
Numbered by first appearance in the article, then reconciled with its declared source list.
- 1
Ghorbani M, Joseph GBS, Tew MM et al. (2024). Functional Associations of the Gut Microbiome with Dopamine, Serotonin, and BDNF in Schizophrenia: A Pilot Study. Egyptian Journal of Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurosurgery.
- 2
Friederike Gutmann, Lina Samira Bahr, Ulrike Bruning et al. (2025). Functional Microbiome Reprogramming Links Dietary Interventions to Neuroinflammatory Outcomes in Multiple Sclerosis. Research Square (preprint).
- 3
Hiroshi Nishiwaki, Jun Ueyama, Mikako Ito et al. (2024). Nishiwaki 2024 — Meta-analysis of shotgun sequencing of gut microbiota in Parkinson's disease (6 countries, riboflavin/biotin pathway depletion). npj Parkinson's Disease.
- 4
Debora Pietrucci, Adelaide Ferroni, Valeria Valente et al. (2020). Pietrucci 2020 -- Potential of Prebiotic Butyrogenic Fibers in Parkinson's Disease. Frontiers in Neurology.
- 5
Md. Mominur Rahman, Fahadul Islam, Md. Harun-Or-Rashid et al. (2022). The Gut Microbiota (Microbiome) in Cardiovascular Disease and Its Therapeutic Regulation. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology.
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