UCLA researchers from the Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology have identified aspects of gut microbiome metabolism that affect host eating behavior, leading to possible microbiome therapies for appetite regulation.
BACKGROUND: The microbiome consists of all microbes within the human body and has recently been shown to influence human health and disease in a multitude of ways. The microbiome is linked with metabolic states, such as obesity, as well as psychological states, such as depression and anxiety. There are trillions of microbes housed in the human gut, and these microbes each have their own metabolic signatures. It has been shown that colonization with different microbiota can modulate the preference of their host towards certain diets. However, it is still unknown whether selective nutrient consumption by the microbiota can impact host dietary preference.
INNOVATION: UCLA researchers have identified ways in which selective utilization of carbohydrates by bacteria in the gut can shape host dietary preference. Researchers used a mouse model colonized with prevalent human-derived gut bacteria and manipulated the ability of these bacteria to ferment particular forms of fructan to find that different fermentation ability of the bacteria led to host preference for a particular diet. Further, researchers identified activation of neurons in brain regions related to feeding after the mice made their preferred food choice. Overall, these findings suggest that differences in bacterial metabolism can impact neuronal activation and dietary choices in the host. This can inform new approaches to treat metabolic diseases and eating disorders.
POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS:
- Manipulating gut microbiome to treat eating disorders and metabolic disorders based on food preferences
- Understanding how some patients may have increased susceptibility to disease due to the unique makeup of their microbiome
ADVANTAGES:
- Researchers took a reductionist approach, which eliminates many variables in other studies, such as diet palatability
- Manipulating the gut microbiome is very clinically feasible, as most drugs are taken orally and as food supplements
- Impacts appetite and diet preferences through gut-brain axis
DEVELOPMENT-TO-DATE: UCLA researchers have identified bacterial fructan utilization as a modifier of host feeding behavior.
KEYWORDS: Microbiome, gut, bacteroides, colonization, diet, obesity, eating disorder, host feeding, metabolic disease, fructan, metabolism, bacterial metabolism