Mediterraneibacter torques
Species of anaerobic bacterium
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mediterraneibacter torques is a species of obligately anaerobic, Gram-positive bacterium in the family Lachnospiraceae. It is a member of the human gut microbiota and was originally isolated from human feces.[2] Its cells are spherical to oval, occur in pairs or chains, and are non-motile.[2] The species was formerly classified as Ruminococcus torques.[1]
| Mediterraneibacter torques | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Kingdom: | Bacillati |
| Phylum: | Bacillota |
| Class: | Clostridia |
| Order: | Eubacteriales |
| Family: | Lachnospiraceae |
| Genus: | Mediterraneibacter |
| Species: | M. torques |
| Binomial name | |
| Mediterraneibacter torques (Holdeman and Moore 1974) Togo et al. 2026[1] | |
| Type strain | |
| ATCC 27756; JCM 6553; VPI B2; VPI B2-51 | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Taxonomy
The species was described as Ruminococcus torques by Lillian V. Holdeman and W. E. C. Moore in 1974.[2] Its transfer to the genus Mediterraneibacter was effectively published in 2018,[3] and the combination Mediterraneibacter torques was validly published in 2026.[4] Ruminococcus torques is consequently treated as a homotypic synonym.[1]
The specific epithet torques is Latin for a twisted necklace, referring to the appearance of the chains formed in broth cultures.[1]
Mucin degradation
M. torques can use gastric and colonic mucin glycoproteins and their released O-linked oligosaccharides as growth substrates. Mucin degradation is mediated principally by secreted enzymes.[5] The organism releases mucin-derived products that can be used by other intestinal bacteria, including Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, and has consequently been described as a keystone mucin degrader.[5] Increased abundance of the organism has also been reported in studies of inflammatory bowel disease.[5]