Polyphasic approach for the characterization of rhizobial symbionts effective in fixing N<Subscript>2</Subscript> with common bean (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Phaseolus vulgaris</Emphasis> L.)

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a legume that has been reported as highly promiscuous in nodulating with a variety of rhizobial strains, often with low effectiveness in fixing nitrogen. The aim of this work was to assess the symbiotic efficiency of rhizobial strains isolated from common bean seeds, nodules of Arachis hypogaea, Mucuna pruriens, and soils from various Brazilian agroecosystems, followed by the characterization of elite strains identified in the first screening. Forty-five elite strains were analyzed for symbiotic properties (nodulation, plant-growth, and nitrogen-fixation parameters) under greenhouse conditions in pots containing non-sterile soil, and variation in symbiotic performance was observed. Elite strains were also characterized in relation to morpho-physiological properties, genetic profiles of rep-polymerase chain reaction (PCR; BOX), and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP)-PCR of the 16S rRNA. Sequence analyses of the 16S rRNA were obtained for 17 strains representative of the main groups resulting from all previous analyses. One of the most effective strains, IPR-Pv 2604, was clustered with Rhizobium tropici, whereas strain IPR-Pv 583, showing lower effectiveness in fixing N₂, was clustered with Herbaspirillum lusitanum. Surprisingly, effective strains were clustered with unusual symbiotic genera/species, including Leifsonia xyli, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Burkholderia, and Enterobacter. Some strains recognized in this study were outstanding in their nitrogen-fixing capacity and therefore, show high biotechnological potential for use in commercial inoculants.     

Characterization of clinical isolates of pathogenic <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nocardia</Emphasis> strains and related actinomycetes in Thailand from 1996 to 2003

In Thailand from 1996 to 2003, 171 strains of pathogenic aerobic actinomycetes from clinical specimens were isolated. Of those strains, 134 were mycolic acid containing actinomycetes, including 96 strains of Nocardia species. Others included 10 strains of Gordonia, 14 strains of Rhodococcus, and 22 strains of Mycobacterium. One strain each of the genera Tsukamurella and Corynebacterium were also isolated. Also identified were 27 strains of non-mycolic acid containing actinomycetes. Our identification studies of 96 strains of Nocardia species showed that significant pathogens in Thailand were N. beijingensis (18 strains), N. cyriacigeorgica (13 strains), and N. farcinica (34 strains); the most prevalent species was N. farcinica (35.4%). We also isolated four strains of N. asiatica, five strains of N. asteroides sensu stricto, four strains of N. nova, seven strains of N. otitidiscaviarum, eight strains of N. transvalensis, and two strains of N. pseudobrasiliensis.     

Updating the Taxonomy of Dermatophytes of the BCCM/IHEM Collection According to the New Standard: A Phylogenetic Approach

Recent taxonomical revisions based on multilocus gene sequencing have provided some clarifications to dermatophyte (Arthrodermataceae) family tree. These changes promoted us to investigate the impact of the changed nomenclature of the dermatophyte strains in the BCCM/IHEM fungal collection, which contains strains of all dermatophyte genera except for Ctenomyces. For 688 strains from this collection, both internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and partial β-tubulin (BT) sequences were aligned and a multilocus phylogenetic tree was constructed. The ITS?+?BT phylogentic tree was able to distinguish the genera Arthroderma, Lophophyton, Microsporum, Paraphyton, Nannizzia and Trichophyton with high certainty. Epidermophyton, which is widely considered as a well-defined genus with E. floccosum as the only representative, fell within the Nannizzia clade, whereas the phylogenetic analysis, based on the ITS region alone, differentiates Epidermophyton from Nannizzia as a separate genus. Re-identification and reclassification of many strains in the collection have had a profound impact on the composition of the BCCM/IHEM dermatophyte collection. The biggest change is the decline of prevalence of Arthroderma strains; starting with 103 strains, only 22 strains remain in the genus after reassessment. Most Arthroderma strains were reclassified into Trichophyton, with A. benhamiae and A. vanbreuseghemii leaving the genus. The amount of Microsporum strains also dropped significantly with most of these strains being reclassified into the genera Paraphyton and Nannizzia.

     

Photochromogenesis

The effect of light on the pigmentation of various strains of Nocardia, Corynebacterium, Arthrobacter, Brevibacterium, and Flavobacterium was investigated. It was revealed that thirty out of fifty-seven strains of Nocardia, two out of fifteen strains of Corynebacterium, two strains of Arthrobacter, six out of thirteen strains of Brevibacterium and two out of fourteen strains of Flavobacterium were photochromogenic; i. e., these strains produced yellow or orange pigments when grown under illumination but entirely unpigmented in total darkness. From these results, it may be concluded that photochromogenicity is not a particular phenomenon limited to specific species, but a common, widely distributed phenomenon in nonphotosynthetic bacteria.     

Multi-gene analysis reveals previously unrecognized phylogenetic diversity in Aliivibrio

The “Vibrio fischeri species group” recently was reclassified as a new genus, Aliivibrio, comprising four species, Aliivibrio fischeri, Aliivibrio logei, Aliivibrio salmonicida, and Aliivibrio wodanis. Only limited phylogenetic analysis of strains within Aliivibrio has been carried out, however, and taxonomic ambiguity is evident within this group, especially for phenotypically unusual strains and certain strains isolated from bioluminescent symbioses. Therefore, to examine in depth the evolutionary relationships within Aliivibrio and redefine the host affiliations of symbiotic species, we examined several previously identified and newly isolated strains using phylogenetic analysis based on multiple independent loci, gapA, gyrB, pyrH, recA, rpoA, the luxABE region, and the 16S rRNA gene. The analysis resolved Aliivibrio as distinct from Vibrio, Photobacterium, and other genera of Vibrionaceae, and resolved A. fischeri, A. salmonicida, A. logei, and A. wodanis as distinct, well-supported clades. However, it also revealed that several previously reported strains are incorrectly identified and that substantial unrecognized diversity exists in this genus. Specifically, strain ATCC 33715 (Y-1) and several other strains having a yellow-shifted luminescence were not members of A. fischeri. Furthermore, no strain previously identified as A. logei grouped with the type strain (ATCC 29985^T), and no bona-fide strain of A. logei was identified as a bioluminescent symbiont. Several additional strains identified previously as A. logei group instead with the type strain of A. wodanis (ATCC BAA-104^T), or are members of a new clade. Two strongly supported clades were evident within A. fischeri, a phylogenetic structure that might reflect differences in the host species or differences in the ecological incidence of strains. The results of this study highlight the importance of basing taxonomic conclusions on examination of type strains.     

Survey of the Distribution of Different Types of Nitrogenases and Hydrogenases in Heterocyst-Forming Cyanobactera

As a first step toward developing the methodology for screening large numbers of heterocyst-forming freshwater cyanobacteria strains for the presence of various types of nitrogenases and hydrogenases, we surveyed the distribution of these genes and their activities in 14 strains from culture collections. The nitrogenase genes include nif1 encoding a Mo-type nitrogenase expressed in heterocysts, nif2 expressed in vegetative cells and heterocysts under anaerobic conditions, and vnf encoding a V-type nitrogenase expressed in heterocysts. Two methods proved to be valuable in surveying the distribution of nitrogenase types. The first method was Southern blot hybridization of DNA digested with two different endonucleases and hybridized with nifD1, nifD2, and vnfD probes. The second method was ethane formation from acetylene to detect the presence of active V-nitrogenase. We found that all 14 strains have nifD1 genes, and eight strains also have nifD2 genes. Four of the strains have vnfD genes, in addition to nifD2 genes. It is curious that three of these four strains had similar hybridization patterns with all of the nifD1, nifD2, and vnfD probes, suggesting that there could be some bias in strains used in the present study or in strains held in culture collections. This point will need to be assessed in the future. For surveying the distribution of hydrogenases, Southern blot hybridization was an effective method. All strains surveyed had hup genes, with the majority of them also having hox genes.     

The Production of Volatile Compounds by Yeasts Isolated from Small Brazilian cachaça distilleries

Summary The production of volatile compounds by 24 strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and one strain each of Candida apicola, C. famata, C. guilliermondii, Hanseniaspora occidentalis, Pichia subpelicullosa and Schizosaccharomyces pombe was evaluated with respect to the production of cacha?a. They were isolated from small cacha?a distilleries (27), industrial cacha?a distilleries (2) and one sugarcane alcohol distillery, and tested in synthetic medium for the production of acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, propanol, isobutanol, isoamyl alcohol, acetic acid and glycerol. The Saccharomyces strains showed a narrow range of variation in the production of such compounds, near 50% of the average of each volatile compound concentration. Principal component analysis showed the separation of the strains into six groups, and acetic acid production was the variable of greatest impact in the differentiation of the strains. The strains of S. pombe formed a distinct group (Group 2), and the strains of C. apicola and H. occidentalis formed a joint group (Group 6) as did Sc13 and Sc4 (Group 4). Group 1 was formed exclusively of S. cerevisiae. The closest non-Saccharomyces strains were C. apicola and H. occidentalis, with a similarity index of about 0.95. The strain P. subpelliculosa showed general characteristics more similar to those of the S. cerevisiae strains than to the non-Saccharomyces strains.     

Variation of wing shape in the Drosophila virilis species group (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Wing shape variation was analysed with geometric morphometric methods in 17 laboratory strains, representing 11 closely related species (including two subspecies) of the Drosophila virilis group: D. virilis, D. lummei, D. novamexicana, D. americana americana, D. americana texana, D. montana, D. lacicola, D. flavomontana, D. borealis, D. littoralis, D. ezoana and D. kanekoi. Overall shape estimated using Procrustes coordinates of 14 landmarks was highly variable among strains and very similar in females and males. The landmarks in the distal part of the wing showed higher variation across strains than those in the proximal part. Procrustes distances between species were not consistent with phylogenetic distances previously suggested for the virilis group. Moreover, Procrustes distances between strains within species and within two major phylads (virilis and montana) were comparable with those between species and between phylads, respectively. The most different from other members of the group was the endemic D. kanekoi species, currently viewed as separate subphylad within the montana phylad. Allometric effects were found to be partly responsible for shape differences between the strains. Three most significant shape transformations were considered using the relative warp analysis and the strains were ordinated in accordance with transformation values. The pattern of relative warp scores could be easily interpreted only for the third warp explaining about 13% of shape variation. It separated the largest species, D. montana, D. ezoana and D. kanekoi, from other ones and was mainly associated with shape changes in the proximal region of the wing. The results of the present work suggest that wing shape in the virilis species group is not related to the speciation process. The observed proximal‐distal contrasts and allometric effects are in agreement with data of other studies, in which wing shape variation was analysed within Drosophila species.     

Ornibactin production and transport properties in strains of Burkholderia vietnamiensis and Burkholderia cepacia (formerly Pseudomonas cepacia)

Several strains of Burkholderia vietnamiensis, isolated from the rhizosphere of rice plants, and four strains formerly known as Pseudomonas cepacia including two collection strains and two clinical isolates were compared for siderophore production and iron uptake. The B. vietnamiensis (TVV strains) as well as the B. cepacia strains (ATCC 25416 and ATCC 17759) and the clinical isolates K132 and LMG 6999 were all found to produce ornibactins under iron starvation. The two ATCC strains of B. cepacia additionally produced the previously described siderophores, pyochelin and cepabactin. Analysis of the ratio of isolated ornibactins (C4, C6 and C8) by HPLC revealed nearly identical profiles. Supplementation of the production medium with ornithine (20 mm) resulted in a 2.5-fold increase in ornibactin synthesis. Ornibactin-mediated iron uptake was independent of the length of the acyl side chain and was observed with all strains of B. vietnamiensis and B. cepacia, but was absent with strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Pseudomonas stutzeri, known to produce pyoverdines or desferriferrioxamines as siderophores. These results suggest that ornibactin production is a common feature of all Burkholderia strains and that these strains develop an ornibactin-specific iron transport system which is distinct from the pyoverdine-specific transport in Pseudomonas strains.     

Molecular Identification of Potentially Probiotic Lactobacilli

The rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes are useful for the identification of Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. gasseri, L. johnsonii, L. crispatus, and L. amylovorus. However, the oligonucleotide probe designed for L. helveticus hybridized with nucleic acids of type strains of L. gallinarum and L. helveticus. Hence, the similarity among the 73 strains of lactobacilli was evaluated on the basis of their randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) profiles derived from five single-primer reactions. These strains were grouped into seven clusters at a similarity level of 30%, which corresponded to six separate species of the L. acidophilus complex (L. johnsonii, L. gallinarum, L. amylovorus, L. crispatus, L. acidophilus, and L. gasseri, respectively) and L. helveticus. For the first time, strains of L. gallinarum were characterized by RAPD and PFGE analyses. The genome length in that species was estimated to be near 1.45 Mb with the summation of ApaI fragments, and near 1.95 Mb with the summation of SmaI fragments. Received: 1 July 1999 / Accepted: 2 August 1999     

胶州湾沉积物可培养细菌的多样性及其抑菌活性

【目的】海洋微生物在活性物质开发方面具有巨大的应用前景。为了研究胶州湾微生物的多样性和抑菌活性,选取胶州湾9个观测站点的沉积物进行了细菌多样性及抑菌活性分析。【方法】采用YPD和Z2216E培养基分离细菌,通过16S r RNA基因测序对分离菌株进行分类鉴定,继而采用牛津杯法考察分离菌株对7株指示菌的抑菌活性,最后用PCR方法筛选16株代表菌的PKSI、NRPS、CYP、Phz E和d TGD基因。【结果】从胶州湾沉积物中共分离出76株细菌,通过对16S r RNA序列分析,将其归为8个科11个属:节杆菌属、考克氏菌属、微球菌属、微杆菌属、假交替单胞菌属、Oceanisphaera、海单胞菌属、葡萄球菌属、芽孢杆菌属、硫胺素芽孢杆菌属和短芽孢杆菌属,其中分离细菌中有34株至少对1种指示菌有抑菌活性。所选取的16株菌均能检测到一种功能基因,且其中5株菌能同时检测到3种以上的功能基因。【结论】以上研究表明胶州湾海域有丰富的微生物资源,在生物活性次级代谢产物合成上有较大潜力。     

Characterization of Six Highly Mosquitocidal Bacillus thuringiensis Strains That Do Not Belong to H-14 Serotype

Four strains belonging to Bacillus thuringiensis serovars thompsoni, malaysiensis, canadensis, jegathesan and two auto-agglutinating B.t. strains were identified as being highly toxic to the mosquito larvae of the species Aedes aegypti, Anopheles stephensi, and Culex pipiens. Their larvicidal and hemolytic activities were determined and compared with those of strains known to be highly mosquitocidal and/or cytolytic from serovars of B.t. israelensis, morrisoni, darmstadiensis, medellin, kyushuensis, and fukuokaensis. The electrophoretic protein profiles of purified crystals and immunological relationships with B.t.i. polypeptides were studied. Five out of the six new strains showed the same larvicidal and hemolytic activities and the same crystal proteins and toxin genes as B.t.i. One strain, B.t. jegathesan 367, presented a novel pattern of larvicidal activity and a protein profile different from those of other strains.     

Inhibition of Vancomycin and High-Level Aminoglycoside-Resistant Enterococci Strains and Listeria monocytogenes by Bacteriocin-Like Substance Produced by Enterococcus faecium E86

Three hundred and thirty nine lactic bacteria strains isolated from food samples were screened for antimicrobial activity. Only one strain isolated from meat pie and identified as Enterococcus faecium produced a bacteriocin-like inhibitory substance (BLIS) showing activity against Enterococcus, Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, Listeria, Corynebacterium and Staphylococcus aureus. The BLIS produced was resistant to acid and alkali treatment and 121oC for 15 min. The addition of BLIS in BHI contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes decreased the contamination in 4.8 log cycles in 24 h. The inhibition of listeria was also obtained in milk. Forty multiresistant enterococci strains were inhibited in the well-diffusion test. Two vancomycin resistant strains tested in liquid with BLIS were also inhibited. The BLIS producer showed no pathogenicity marker.     

Phenotypic and Genetic Characteristics of Macrolide and Lincosamide Resistant Ureaplasma urealyticum Isolated in Guangzhou, China

The phenotypic and genetic characteristics of resistance to macrolides and lincosamides among 72 Ureaplasma urealyticum clinical strains isolated in Guangzhou, China were investigated in this study. Strains were studied by resistance phenotyping, detection of resistance genes (ermB, msrA, msrB, msrC, and msrD), and determining the significance of an association between the presence of resistance genes and the int-Tn gene (a genetic marker of transposon). The ermB, msrA, msrB, msrC, and msrD genes were obtained in 21, 1, 12, 0, and 24 strains, respectively. The msrB and msrD genes were detected in strains of macrolides (M) or macrolides–streptogramin B (MS) resistance phenotype, and the ermB gene was detected in strains of M or macrolide–lincosamide (ML) phenotype in U. urealyticum. Statistical analysis revealed that only the ermB gene was closely associated with the int-Tn gene. It was concluded that U. urealyticum harbored the ermB, msrA, msrB, and msrD genes which confer resistance to macrolides and (or) lincosamides. The ermB gene may be located in the U. urealyticum transposon.     

The Distribution of Extracellular Cellulase Activity in Marine Eukaryotes,Thraustochytrids

Cellulolytic ability was evaluated in 19 strains of thraustochytrids, representing nine genera, using carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) as a substrate. Extracellular cellulolytic enzyme activity was determined in the culture supernatants during cell growth. CMC hydrolysis was observed in 14 out of the 19 strains examined. These belonged to the genera Aplanochytrium, Botryochytrium, Oblongichytrium, Parietichytrium, Schizochytrium, Sicyoidochytrium, Thraustochytrium and Ulkenia. On the other hand, cellulolytic enzyme activity was not detected in any strains belonging to the genus Aurantiochytrium.     

Isolation and Determination of Yeasts Utilizing Kerosene as a Sole Source of Carbon

In order to produce microbial cell substances from petroleum, 83 strains of kerosene-utilizing yeasts, as a sole source of carbon, were isolated from 37 materials in contact with petroleum in the petroleum refinery. They could be distributed in either of 15 cultural groups with their colony appearances. Fifteen representative strains in 15 cultural groups were served for determination and identified with the following species: Candida tropicalis, 9 strains; C. guilliermondii, 2 strains; C. intermedia, 2 strains; C. pulcherrima, 1 strains; Torulopsis pinus, 1 strain.

In order to clarify what the ability of hydrocarbon utilization means biologically, 46 standard strains were served for test, of which the following 5 strains could utilize kerosene as a sole source of carbon: Candida albicans IAM 4888; C. arborea IAM 4147; C. lipolytica IAM 4947; C. tropicalis IAM 4862 and IAM 4924. Considering the result, the ability of utilizing kerosene would seem to characterize the genus, but it was not evident that it would characterize the species.

C. tropicalis Pk-233 gave the best cell yield among the above strains when kerosene was employed as a sole source of carbon and moreover, in the production of the cells of Pk-233, employing kerosene as a carbon material was compared with employing glucose.     

Evidence for in vitro anti-genotoxicity of cheese non-starter lactobacilli

The inhibition of direct acting DNA reactive agents by 63 non-starter lactobacilli isolated from raw ewes milk cheeses was examined by short-term assay (SOS-Chromotest) and compared with already characterized starter lactobacilli. The screening revealed strains active against the nitroarene 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (NQO) and the alkylating agent N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) in different species of the genus Lactobacillus (L. rhamnosus, L. casei, L. plantarum, L. brevis, Lactobacillus spp.). It was proved that the anti-genotoxicity was strain-dependent, and always associated with spectroscopic modification of genotoxins. The frequency of strains inhibiting nitroarene genotoxicity was comparable for non-starter and starter lactobacilli, whereas inhibition of the alkylating agent was largely predominant in non-starter isolates. Seventeen strains presented inhibitory activity against both genotoxins. DNA RAPD-PCR performed with M13, Pro-Up and RPO2 primers on the lactobacilli under examination showed genetic diversity in these strains. The non-starter isolates clustered in seven groups and the strains presenting a high degree of activity against 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide clustered in a single group with a similarity around 75%. Interestingly, the strains with anti-genotoxic properties also showed acid-bile tolerance, indicating that the autochthonous lactobacilli which survive cheese ripening may also reach the gut as viable cells and could prevent genotoxin DNA damage to enterocytes, as is desirable for probiotic bacteria.     

天山大峡谷原始森林黏细菌的分离鉴定及其抗菌活性

【背景】黏细菌是一类具有多细胞群体行为特征的高等原核生物,其对植物病原真菌和细菌的捕食特性使其在植物病害防治方面具有重要的应用潜力。【目的】探究乌鲁木齐天山大峡谷原始森林可培养黏细菌的多样性并分析其抗菌活性,为发掘黏细菌生防菌株奠定基础。【方法】以天山大峡谷原始森林采集的土样和腐木为分离材料,采用兔粪诱导法和被捕食菌诱导法从中分离纯化黏细菌菌株,结合形态学观察、生理生化测定和16S rRNA基因序列分析确定其分类地位,并以6种植物病原真菌[大丽轮枝菌(Verticillium dahliae)、尖孢镰刀菌萎蔫专化型(Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum)、拟轮枝链孢霉(Fusarium verticillioides)、立枯丝核菌(Rhizoctonia solani)、黄色镰刀菌(Fusarium culmorum)、细极链格孢菌(Alternaria tenuissima)]和1种植物病原细菌[梨火疫病菌(Erwinia amylovora)]为靶标菌,通过平板对峙法和菌苔捕食法测定其抗菌活性。【结果】从采集的样品中分离出70株菌株,经纯化后获得36株黏细菌纯培养物。经鉴定隶属于4个属,黏球菌属(Myxococcus) 30株、孢囊杆菌属(Cystobacter) 3株、珊瑚球菌属(Corallococcus) 2株和原囊菌属(Archangium) 1株。抗菌活性分析显示,本研究获得的36株黏细菌至少对2种植物病原真菌有抗菌活性,表现出广谱的抗真菌活性,初步筛选出一株菌株NSE37-1兼具广谱和高效抗真菌活性;供试的15株黏细菌对梨火疫病菌均具有捕食活性,初步筛选出一株对梨火疫病菌具有较强捕食能力的黏细菌菌株NSE25。【结论】天山大峡谷可培养黏细菌资源比较丰富,黏球菌属是该地区可培养黏细菌菌群中的优势菌。分离纯化出的黏细菌菌株均表现出广谱的抗植物病原菌活性,具有进一步研究和开发的潜在价值。     

Antibiotic Susceptibility of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium Species from the Human Gastrointestinal Tract

One hundred and twenty-two strains of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species have been tested against 12 antibiotics and two antibiotic mixtures by a commercial system (Sensititre Anaero3; Treck Diagnostic Systems). The upper limits of some minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were completed on MRS agar plates by the NCCLS procedure. All strains were sensitive to chloramphenicol and imipenem and most of the strains were resistant to metronidazole. Bifidobacteria isolates were susceptible to cefoxitin, whereas about half of the lactobacilli were resistant. Approximately 30% of the Bifidobacterium isolates were resistant to tetracycline, as well as five Lactobacillus strains belonging to four different species. None of the tested Bifidobacterium isolates was resistant to vancomycin, whereas a species-dependent resistance was found among the lactobacilli. Single strains of Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Lactobacillus brevis were resistant to erythromycin and/or clindamycin. Most of the observed resistances seemed to be intrinsic, but some others could be compatible with transmissible determinants.     

Membrane filter method to study the effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium longum on fecal microbiota

A large number of commensal bacteria inhabit the intestinal tract, and interbacterial communication among gut microbiota is thought to occur. In order to analyze symbiotic relationships between probiotic strains and the gut microbiota, a ring with a membrane filter fitted to the bottom was used for in vitro investigations. Test strains comprising probiotic nitto strains (Lactobacillus acidophilus NT and Bifidobacterium longum NT) and type strains (L. acidophilus JCM1132^T and B. longum JCM1217^T) were obtained from diluted fecal samples using the membrane filter to simulate interbacterial communication. Bifidobacterium spp., Streptococcus pasteurianus, Collinsella aerofaciens, and Clostridium spp. were the most abundant gut bacteria detected before coculture with the test strains. Results of the coculture experiments indicated that the test strains significantly promote the growth of Ruminococcus gnavus, Ruminococcus torques, and Veillonella spp. and inhibit the growth of Sutterella wadsworthensis. Differences in the relative abundances of gut bacterial strains were furthermore observed after coculture of the fecal samples with each test strain. Bifidobacterium spp., which was detected as the dominant strain in the fecal samples, was found to be unaffected by coculture with the test strains. In the present study, interbacterial communication using bacterial metabolites between the test strains and the gut microbiota was demonstrated by the coculture technique. The detailed mechanisms and effects of the complex interbacterial communications that occur among the gut microbiota are, however, still unclear. Further investigation of these relationships by coculture of several fecal samples with probiotic strains is urgently required.