Methanobrevibacter smithii

Species of archaeon

Methanobrevibacter smithii is the predominant methanogenic archaeon in the microbiota of the human gut. M. smithii has a coccobacillus shape. It plays an important role in the efficient digestion of polysaccharides (complex sugars) by consuming the end products of bacterial fermentation (H2, acetate, formate to some extant). M. smithii is a hydrogenotrophic methanogen that utilizes hydrogen by combining it with carbon dioxide to form methane. The removal of hydrogen by M. smithii is thought to allow an increase in the extraction of energy from nutrients by shifting bacterial fermentation to more oxidized end products.

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