Okay, folks: Read, compare, and judge for yourself!

Duane, you really need to update your material. Science has advanced since you were teaching at a college for alternative medicine. You also don't read closely. Below is your excerpt and its source: http://borg.med.ecu.edu/~webpage/about.html

"Originally it was believed that these enzymatic activities were extracellular, and the short oligosaccharides and monosaccharides produced by hydrolysis were taken up into the cell for fermentation. Analysis of the B. thetaiotaomicron starch utilization system (sus) (16), has revealed the polysaccharides to be bound to an outer membrane receptor system (85), and pulled into the periplasm for degradation into monosaccharides. The Bacteroides use a similar approach for uptake and degradation of chondroitin sulfate (10), indicating this technique may provide a competitive advantage in the human gut, as polysaccharides sequestered in the periplasm are less likely to be "stolen" by other intestinal organisms or lost by diffusion."

"taken from the introduction of Gena Tribbles' Doctoral thesis entitled: Development of a Model of Transposition for the Bacteroides mobilizable transposon TN4555." At the bottom of the page we find, "This page was last updated on 9/9/99," which is by East Carolina University.

When was it first posted?!!! And when was her doctoral done?!!! It is an article on Bacteroides in general, probably cutting edge when she did her doctorate. The other Bacteroides don't seem to have any capability resembling B. thetaiotaomicron in digesting complex carbohydrates. I have seen nothing published so far before 2002 that indicates that B. thetaiotaomicron was recognized as extraordinary in its capabilities, and there is no sign of it on that page.

In counterpoint, I offer again this bit of information from Science:
From article published in Science March 2005:
Glycan Foraging in Vivo by an Intestine-Adapted Bacterial Symbiont

"More than half of the carbohydrate-degrading enzymes produced by B. thetaiotaomicron are predicted to be secreted into the periplasmic or extracellular space and thus, in principle, are capable of liberating oligo-and monosaccharides from undigested dietary polysaccharides and host mucus for consumption by B. thetaiotaomicron, other members of the microbiota, or the host."

From the same article;

The results of this metabolic reconstruction were consistent with active delivery of mannose, galactose, and glucose to the glycolytic pathway, and arabinose and xylose to the pentose phosphate pathway.

There are numerous internet referents about colonizing mice with only these bacteria and how they become fat in a few weeks due to the super efficient utilization of nutrition by B. thetaiotaomicron. There were no competing bacteria to hold them in check! That gives a new slant on why some people grow fat and some stay thin on the same amount of food and activity. (or at least they claim they're just as active.) But the sugars are not absorbed?....Duh!

"Again, showing few monosaccharides would be available from this organism to intestinal absorption...if any." by loweduane

Here is a e-mail address of a principal researcher and co-author of the articles that I reference, who posted it earlier this year for feedback. It doesn't matter that he has spent years working with this organism. You should inform him of your vast knowledge on his subject and this insight that you've arrived at. Let us know later how you demonstrated his ignorance for him, which he acknowledged. Good Luck!

jgordon@molecool.wustl.edu

musashi

On a separate note, I found Duane's post this morning that the time of posting, 0638, was less than 10 minutes, according to the listing by internal clock. It already had a "R" or recommended designation on it. Does this glyconutritional forum moderator and Duane hang out at night together? And due to what I have already pointed out, Duane's mediocre research and out of date infomation, is she qualified to evaluate a post for "Recommended"? If it continues, I believe that we should complain to the management. Certainly it appears that she is not, "fair and balanced."

musashi