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GUT MICROBIOTA IN 2018

Microbiota and metabolites in metabolic diseases

Nature Reviews Endocrinology volume 15, pages 69–70 (2019)Cite this article

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In 2018, more than 4,000 publications were dedicated to the study of the gut microbiota, and an important proportion investigated cardiometabolic disorders associated with overweight and obesity. Novel mechanisms and strategies have emerged, some of which were focused not only on specific bacteria or nutrients, but also on new metabolites.

Key advances

  • Faecal salinity shapes the microbiota by reducing the abundance of Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia7.

  • Imidazole propionate is increased in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); this compound directly contributes to the development of insulin resistance6.

  • Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia muciniphila have been inversely associated with low-grade inflammation, insulin resistance and T2DM8.

Based on these data, microbiota-derived molecules are considered key metabolic regulators that can act on different organs throughout the body and, ultimately, control a range of functions in a beneficial or harmful way (Fig. 1). In addition to the example of TMAO as a potential key player, other microbiota-derived metabolites, such as those produced from aromatic amino acids, have been linked with anti-inflammatory processes in the liver5 (Fig. 1); however, only a handful of studies have clearly dissected the molecular mechanisms by which specific microbiota-derived metabolites of amino acids contribute to the onset of diseases.

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Fig. 1: Novel mechanisms linking microbiota-derived molecules and metabolism.

References

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Acknowledgements

P.D.C. is a senior research associate at FRS-FNRS (Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique). P.D.C. is a recipient of grants from FNRS, FRFS-WELBIO, under grant: WELBIO-CR-2017-C02, The Excellence Of Science (EOS 30770923), the Funds Baillet Latour (Grant for Medical Research 2015), POC ERC grant 2016 (European Research Council, Microbes4U_713547) and ERC Starting Grant 2013 (Starting grant 336452-ENIGMO).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Metabolism and Nutrition Research Group, WELBIO–Walloon Excellence in Life Sciences and BIOtechnology, Louvain Drug Research Institute, UCLouvain, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium

    Patrice D. Cani

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Correspondence to Patrice D. Cani.

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Competing interests

P.D.C. is the inventor on patent applications dealing with the use of A. muciniphila and its components in the treatment of obesity and related disorders. P.D.C. is co-founder of A-Mansia biotech SA.

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Cani, P.D. Microbiota and metabolites in metabolic diseases. Nat Rev Endocrinol 15, 69–70 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-018-0143-9

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