Gastrointestinal system articles from across Nature Portfolio

Here, by using a food digestion model in C. elegans, the authors identify a mechanism by which bacterial peptidoglycan (PGN) interacts with Bacterial Colonization Factor-1 (BCF-1) triggering C. elegans to expand its ability to consume a wide range of foods in their natural environment.

Several teleost groups display secondary loss of the stomach. Analyses of genotypic convergence among agastric fishes showed that four genes, slc26a9, kcne2, cldn18a, and vsig1, are co-deleted or pseudogenized in most agastric fishes.

RORγt+ group 3 innate lymphoid cells are intimately involved in intestinal homeostasis, their dysregulation is linked to inflammatory gut diseases. Here the authors show that dysregulated Wnt/β-catenin signalling contributes to disturbed regulation of group 3 innate cells and intestinal inflammation.

A new study identifies a group of gut bacteria that can metabolize cholesterol and are associated with lower plasma cholesterol levels.

Resistant starch is a prebiotic fibre that is fermented by the gut microbiota and leads to benefits for host physiology. A clinical trial in Nature Metabolism demonstrates weight loss when resistant starch was given to individuals with excess weight.

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