A Repertoire of Ethanol-Producing Human Microbes

Background Studies of the relationship between the human microbiota and the host, particularly in the maintenance of health and the onset of disease, is still a topical issue. The microbiota is home to a number of microorganisms, including bacteria, yeasts, viruses and archaea, which play a crucial role in the body's proper functioning. In the presence of risk factors, mainly antibiotics, unbalanced diet and so on, a microbiota disequilibrium known as dysbiosis can set in, eventually leading to the onset of several diseases. Several mechanisms have been described for this dysbiosis, but the one linked to endogenous ethanol production is under-investigated. Results The aim of this review is to provide an inventory of all ethanol-producing microorganisms in humans. Over 36,0000,000 articles were searched on pubmed with our query, of which 7275 were retained. Of these, 5397 contributed to the review, enabling us to identify 85 ethanol-producing microorganisms in humans, including 61 bacterial species and 24 yeasts. Conclusion Our results establish an important role for endogenous ethanol in the onset of certain diseases. They will also enable us to better understand the origins of diseases linked to this mechanism, and to improve diagnosis and therapeutic management in the future.