Gut microbiota Turicibacter strains differentially modify bile acids and host lipids

Bacteria from the Turicibacter genus are prominent members of the mammalian gut microbiota and correlate with alterations in dietary fat and body weight, but the specific connections between these symbionts and host physiology are poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we characterize a diverse set of mouse- and human-derived Turicibacter isolates, and find they group into clades that differ in their transformations of specific bile acids. We identify Turicibacter bile salt hydrolases that confer strain-specific differences in bile deconjugation. Using male and female gnotobiotic mice, we find colonization with individual Turicibacter strains leads to changes in host bile acid profiles, generally aligning with those produced in vitro. Further, colonizing mice with another bacterium exogenously expressing bile-modifying genes from Turicibacter strains decreases serum cholesterol, triglycerides, and adipose tissue mass. This identifies genes that enable Turicibacter strains to modify host bile acids and lipid metabolism, and positions Turicibacter bacteria as modulators of host fat biology. Mechanisms by which the gut microbiota affects its host are a main research focus. Here, Lynch et al. characterize bile acid modifications performed by a prevalent bacterial taxon from the gut, the genus Turicibacter, and found they broadly altered host lipids, connecting Turicibacter functions and host physiology.