Novel myo -inositol to butyrate fermentation pathway in the prevalent human gut species Dysosmobacter welbionis, a bacterium associated with improved metabolic and liver health
Abstract
Background Dysosmobacter welbionis is a recently discovered butyrate producer whose presence in stool correlates with improved metabolic health. Whether its abundance is reduced in individuals with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) remains unknown. Mechanistic insight into its butyrate production from myo -inositol, a dietary compound from fruits, beans, grains and nuts with metabolic benefits, is also limited. Objective To assess population-level distribution, relative abundance and strain diversity of D. welbionis in humans, and to elucidate its metabolic capacity to ferment myo -inositol into butyrate. Design We analysed several human cohorts for associations with liver health and evaluated D. welbionis J115 T supplementation in a diet-induced steatosis mouse model. An antibody-guided anaerobic cell-sorting strategy enabled isolation of distinct strains. We combined 13 C-labelled inositol isotopes with NMR, mass spectrometry, genomics and proteomics. Results We found that D. welbionis and two related species ( D. hominis and D. segnis ) are prevalent gut bacteria in the human gut. D. welbionis abundance was reduced in MASLD across two cohorts and inversely correlated with fibrosis score in a third cohort. Treatment with D. welbionis J115 T improved glycaemia and hepatic steatosis in high-fat diet fed mice. We identified a non-canonical myo -inositol-to-butyrate fermentation pathway. 19 human strains were isolated, comparative genomics of 23 strains revealed an open pangenome (about 2100 core genes) including the full myo- inositol fermentation pathway. Conclusion D. welbionis possesses a unique, conserved route to convert dietary myo -inositol into butyrate, distinguishing it from other commensals and supporting its potential as a next-generation probiotic for metabolic and liver health.
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BibTeX
@article{lee2026novel,
title = {{Novel myo -inositol to butyrate fermentation pathway in the prevalent human gut species Dysosmobacter welbionis, a bacterium associated with improved metabolic and liver health}},
author = {Chi-Hsien Lee and Thi Phuong Nam Bui and Camille Petitfils and Ching Jian and Giselle Wong and Anthony Puel and Tiphaine Le Roy and Samuel Bellais and Bouthaina Ben Abdallah and Mélanie Nehlich and Thomas Leicht and Manyi Jia and Lesley Hoyles and Massimo Federici and Jose Manuel Fernández-Real and Remy Burcelin and Marc-Emmanuel Dumas and Nathalie Delzenne and Thomas Clavel and Sjef Boeren and Antonio Dario Troise and Andrea Scaloni and Giulio Muccioli and Willem de Vos and Matthias van Hul and Patrice Cani},
journal = {Gut},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1136/gutjnl-2025-336617},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05855888v1},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Novel myo -inositol to butyrate fermentation pathway in the prevalent human gut species Dysosmobacter welbionis, a bacterium associated with improved metabolic and liver health
AU - Chi-Hsien Lee
AU - Thi Phuong Nam Bui
AU - Camille Petitfils
AU - Ching Jian
AU - Giselle Wong
AU - Anthony Puel
AU - Tiphaine Le Roy
AU - Samuel Bellais
AU - Bouthaina Ben Abdallah
AU - Mélanie Nehlich
AU - Thomas Leicht
AU - Manyi Jia
AU - Lesley Hoyles
AU - Massimo Federici
AU - Jose Manuel Fernández-Real
AU - Remy Burcelin
AU - Marc-Emmanuel Dumas
AU - Nathalie Delzenne
AU - Thomas Clavel
AU - Sjef Boeren
AU - Antonio Dario Troise
AU - Andrea Scaloni
AU - Giulio Muccioli
AU - Willem de Vos
AU - Matthias van Hul
AU - Patrice Cani
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/07
JO - Gut
DO - 10.1136/gutjnl-2025-336617
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05855888v1
AB - Background Dysosmobacter welbionis is a recently discovered butyrate producer whose presence in stool correlates with improved metabolic health. Whether its abundance is reduced in individuals with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) remains unknown. Mechanistic insight into its butyrate production from myo -inositol, a dietary compound from fruits, beans, grains and nuts with metabolic benefits, is also limited. Objective To assess population-level distribution, relative abundance and strain diversity of D. welbionis in humans, and to elucidate its metabolic capacity to ferment myo -inositol into butyrate. Design We analysed several human cohorts for associations with liver health and evaluated D. welbionis J115 T supplementation in a diet-induced steatosis mouse model. An antibody-guided anaerobic cell-sorting strategy enabled isolation of distinct strains. We combined 13 C-labelled inositol isotopes with NMR, mass spectrometry, genomics and proteomics. Results We found that D. welbionis and two related species ( D. hominis and D. segnis ) are prevalent gut bacteria in the human gut. D. welbionis abundance was reduced in MASLD across two cohorts and inversely correlated with fibrosis score in a third cohort. Treatment with D. welbionis J115 T improved glycaemia and hepatic steatosis in high-fat diet fed mice. We identified a non-canonical myo -inositol-to-butyrate fermentation pathway. 19 human strains were isolated, comparative genomics of 23 strains revealed an open pangenome (about 2100 core genes) including the full myo- inositol fermentation pathway. Conclusion D. welbionis possesses a unique, conserved route to convert dietary myo -inositol into butyrate, distinguishing it from other commensals and supporting its potential as a next-generation probiotic for metabolic and liver health.
SN - 0017-5749
SN - 1468-3288
ER -