Gut microbes, immunity, and metabolism

Abstract

The colonic microbiome is remarkable in that, it is among the most densely populated microbial habitats on Earth. It is increasingly apparent that the gut microbiome produces substances that are absorbed by the host, which then significantly influences metabolic function. Thus, the study of gut microbial ecology and its interplay with the host metabolome has emerged as a critical frontier in contemporary nutritional and metabolic research. Advances in high throughput DNA sequencing technology have allowed investigators, for the first time, an opportunity to more thoroughly explore the composition of the gut microbiome and its gene representations. Combined with gnotobiotic studies in murine models, new insights into the mutualistic, symbiotic and, sometimes, pathogenic interactions between the gut microbiome and its mammalian host are becoming apparent. Examples of the latter include the development of diet-induced obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.