FIG 2.

B. adolescentis 22L metabolism of starch and starch derivatives. (a) Heat map representing the growth performance of B. adolescentis 22L as well as all of the type strains of the currently recognized 47 taxa belonging to the genus Bifidobacterium on starch and starch-like carbohydrates. Cultures were grown in biologically independent triplicates. The different shading represents the optical density reached by the various cultures. (b) Schematic representation of the metabolic pathways for starch degradation followed by 22L cells. The different ORFs of B. adolescentis 22L encoding the presumed enzymes involved in the breakdown of starch are indicated. (c) Schematic overview of a cell and the location of enzymes involved in the breakdown and internalization of starch. Carbohydrates derived from starch are internalized by ABC transporters (represented in orange), PTS systems (shown in blue), and symporter (depicted in green), after which glycosyl hydrolases process such oligosaccharides to monosaccharides. The different ORFs of B. adolescentis 22L encoding the presumed enzymes involved in the breakdown and internalization of starch are indicated.