Biotechnology Bulletin ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (2): 51-64.doi: 10.13560/j.cnki.biotech.bull.1985.2025-1001

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Bacteroides Genetic Manipulation Toolbox: From Conventional Methods to the Frontiers of Synthetic Biology

CHEN Ling-yan(), LI Wei-xun, PANG Xin-xin, GAO Xiang(), JIAO Xu-yao()   

  1. State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao 266000
  • Received:2025-09-22 Online:2026-02-26 Published:2026-03-17
  • Contact: GAO Xiang, JIAO Xu-yao E-mail:202520481@mail.sdu.edu.cn;xgao@email.sdu.edu.cn;jiaoxuyao@sdu.edu.cn

Abstract:

Bacteroides,as an extremely abundant and functionally important commensal bacterial group in the human gut microbiome, play key roles in nutrient metabolism, immune regulation, and disease development. However, due to its strict anaerobic nature and active restriction-modification systems, genetic manipulation of Bacteroides has long been hampered by limited tools and low efficiency. This article systematically reviews the development of the genetic manipulation toolbox for Bacteroides and summarizes the specific applications of these tools in functional gene validation, metabolic pathway elucidation, and the development of live bacterial therapeutics. The article first outlines the essential components required for genetic manipulation in Bacteroides. It then introduces targeted gene-editing methods, including homologous recombination, CRISPR-Cas systems, and genetic complementation systems. Subsequently, it describes strategies for genome-wide screening of novel functional genes, such as transposon mutagenesis. Through concrete examples, it analyzes the application of these technologies in deciphering the pathogenic mechanisms and metabolic regulatory networks of Bacteroides. Finally, it discusses current challenges and future directions, including multi-site editing and community-level manipulation. This review aims to provide researchers with a systematic and practical set of genetic manipulation strategies to advance in-depth studies of Bacteroides’ functional mechanisms and its applications in the field of synthetic biology.

Key words: Bacteroides, human gut commensal bacteria, genetic manipulation, gene editing