Our bodies are not just human. It is home to trillions of microorganisms found inside and outside our bodies. In fact, there are more microorganisms in our intestines than there are. stars of the milky way. These microbes are essential to human health, but scientists are still figuring out exactly what they do and how they help.
In a new study published in natural microbiologyMy colleagues and I explored how certain gut bacteria might protect us from harmful bacteria known as the Enterobacteriaceae.
These bacteria include the following species: E. coli (E. coli). This is usually harmless in small amounts, but if it grows too much, it can cause infections and other health problems.
We discovered that the gut environment created by our diet plays a big role in suppressing potentially harmful bacteria.
To reach this conclusion, we analyzed more than 12,000 stool samples from people in 45 countries. Using DNA sequencing technology, we were able to identify and quantify the microorganisms detected in each sample. We found that the composition of the gut microbiota of people with Enterobacteriaceae was fundamentally different from that of people without it.
By analyzing these microorganisms and their genes, we can accurately predict whether someone has Enterobacteriaceae in their gut (in about 80% of cases). This showed that the type of bacteria in our gut is closely linked to whether harmful species take over.
Upon closer inspection, we discovered two groups of bacteria. Bacteria that thrive together with the gut bacteria (so-called “co-colonizers”) and bacteria that are rarely found (“co-excluders”).
One type of co-excluding bacteria called Faecalibacterium was particularly important. It breaks down various fibers in our diet, producing chemicals called short-chain fatty acids. This in turn can prevent the growth of harmful bacteria such as Enterobacteriaceae.
The presence of these fatty acids was one of the strongest signals we observed between co-excluders and co-colonizers. They also previously involved It has a wide range of health benefits, including reducing inflammation and improving bowel function.
Another interesting observation from our study is that co-colonizers (bacteria that live together with gut bacteria) are more adaptable. They had a variety of abilities to break down different nutrients and were able to survive in environments suitable for Enterobacteriaceae.
This was particularly surprising because previous research in mice had suggested that bacteria eating the same types of food and nutrients would have difficulty living together in the gut.
This once again points out that intestinal environmental conditions (nutrients, pH, oxygen levels) are a major factor in determining whether a person’s intestines will be colonized by Enterobacteriaceae.
More effective than probiotics
Our findings could lead to new ways to prevent and treat infections without antibiotics. For example, instead of killing harmful bacteria directly (which can also harm good bacteria), you can increase co-exclusion bacteria or create a diet that supports bacterial growth.
This strategy may be more effective than taking probiotics directly. This is because previously, new bacteria added to the gut were shown to live in the gut for only a limited period of time. They can also reduce the threat by targeting specific pathways that harmful bacteria use to survive.
Our research provides new and important insights, but there is still much to learn. Many regions, including parts of South America and Africa, are underrepresented in microbiome studies. This limits our understanding of how gut bacteria vary across populations.
Additionally, although our study highlights important patterns and interactions, the causes and mechanisms of these relationships are not yet fully understood.
Future research will incorporate additional tools such as metabolomics (studying the chemicals microorganisms produce) and transcriptomics (studying how genes are activated) to get a clearer picture of how the gut ecosystem works for our health benefits. will create.
Next steps should also focus on designing studies to test whether specific types of diets (e.g., high-fiber vs. low-fiber) affect the development of potentially harmful bacteria and other diseases in the long term.
By better understanding how microbes interact and communicate in our gut, we can develop more precise non-antibiotic treatments that can protect against future infections.
Alexandre Almeidachief investigator, University of Cambridge
This article is republished from: conversation Under Creative Commons License. read original article.
