Enterobacteriaceae ruled by microbiota

By: Juan Carlos Onofre

Figure 1. Showing microbiota in the gut.

It has been known that gut microbiota plays an important role is digestion and protection of the gut. It may be protection against harmful substances or pathogenic bacteria. But how does the protection against bacteria work at the molecular level?

According to Byndloss MX et al (2017) studies, it was found that Microbiota activates a receptor called PPAR-Y by butyrate, a chemical produced by microbiota. Butyrate was discovered to be essential in the regulation of oxygen and nitrate in the lumen. This regulation process is really important for control of Enterobacteriaceae due to the fact that most Enterobacteriaceae may thrive by an accumulation of oxygen or nitrate in the gut. This hypothesis was tested by repressing this receptor with antibiotic treatments that reduced microbiota, causing a depletion of butyrate. This experiment was done with mice, which the results showed that PPAR-Y sensor is essential for the control of oxygen. Event though this signaling sensor plays an important role in oxygenation in the gut, there are other factors that contribute in the accumulation of oxygen, but it is a big step in science for the understanding of molecular signaling in the gut, and how microbiota is fundamental in the gut, so take care of your small friends living in your gut!.

Byndloss MX, Olsan EE, Rivera-Chávez F, Tiffany CR, Cevallos SA, Lokken KL, et al. (2017). Microbiota-activated PPAR-γ signaling inhibits dysbiotic Enterobacteriaceae expansion. Science 357: 570–575.