Abnormal gut bacteria can help prevent obesity. But, how do you make it happy?

The microbial community that lives in our large intestine is a highly dense and complex ecosystem. Although some of these microorganisms cause diseases and diseases (such as bacteria and viruses), others are more friendly to us and help us stay healthy.

akkermansia mucosa It is one of these friendly bacteria.

Researchers have known it for many years Mucosmembrane It’s related to physical health. One of its important roles in our gut is to maintain the function of intestinal disorders. This avoids the wrong bugs while ensuring we can still absorb important nutrients from our diet, so that the cells can keep running as they should. But when there is an imbalance Mucosmembrane In the gut, it can cause our health problems.

This unusual bacteria live in our large intestine and survives from mucins – a layer of mucus covers the surface of the large intestine.

Mucin provides a small but important separation between human cells and microbial cells called the large intestine. If the mucus layer is destroyed, the microorganisms can be in direct contact with human cells. This can cause inflammation because human cells respond to bacteria – which can lead to the development of diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease.

akkermansia mucosa He is a very picky eater. It uses only glycoproteins (molecules and carbohydrate molecules) in mucin as energy. But until recently, how this bacteria extracts energy from glycoproteins was a mystery. My own research and colleagues found Mucosmembrane Deploy a range of different enzymes that work together to unlock the sugar found in mucin.

Using mucins removed from pigs, we analyzed two enzymes on the cell surface with their genes to understand which enzymes are involved in destroying glycoproteins in mucin.

We discovered this Mucosmembrane Use 66 different enzymes to extract the important energy needed from glycoproteins in order to perform important work. We are the first group to describe this process.

Important to health

Research Mucosmembrane Interaction with the mouse’s immune system shows that it reduces the immune system and may prevent obesity and diabetes development.

The researchers highlighted the specific peptide (a molecule) that has this effect on the immune system. Due to its friendly nature and calming effect on the immune system, akkermansia mucosa It has even been used to develop probiotics.

Researchers also found that fewer people with metabolic diseases, such as diabetes or fatty liver disease akkermansia mucosa In their large intestine. The thinner and more exercise you are Mucosmembrane You have.

Although akkermansia mucosa Only by eating mucus, our diet will still affect it – albeit indirectly.

The bacteria that colon reside, e.g. Mucosmembrane Use carbohydrates extracted from foods rich in fiber in your diet as fuel. In return, they produce substances called short-chain fatty acids. These compounds supply the top layer of human cells in the colon. Actually, 10% of our energy comes from this process.

akkermansia mucosa Other bacterial species in the microbiome are also supported by giving broken mucus so that they can survive – a process called “cross-feeding.” But if we don’t eat enough fiber as part of our diet, mucin will become a larger source of nutrients.

This can lead to depletion of the mucus layer of the large intestine – unbalanced the delicate ecosystem of the microbiome. This increases the chance of developing inflammatory diseases. So, although akkermansia mucosa Not a pathogen, it can remove too much mucus under the wrong conditions.

Our study is the first complete example of how this bacterial species breaks down mucus. It is important to understand this process because it is the key to our microorganisms interact with each other and with us. The enzymes we describe from akkermansia mucosa Now, it can also be used as a tool to analyze the changes in these complex mucin structures across different body parts and people.

The more researchers understand akkermansia mucosa As well as other microorganisms that live in the colon, the more we understand the importance of eating a variable, high-fiber diet.

Lucy Crouch is the Institute of Microbiology and Infection, the School of Microbiology, Infection and Microbiome, Infection, Inflammation and Immunology, and the School of Medicine and Health, University of Birmingham.

This article is republished from the conversation under the Creative Sharing License. read Original article.