Peek Into the Gut Microbiome

Aug 25, 2021

By IBA Office

The last few years have seen a major paradigm shift in our understanding of the role of microbes in our health. This change is akin to the shock when watching the last few minutes of a movie, and it hits you that the villain is the good guy, and the protagonist you have been rooting for is the evil schemer.

The vast majority of microbes that reside in different habitats on our skin, eyes, oral and nasal passages, and within our digestive and reproductive systems are essential for health. They provide vital functions and proteins that our bodies require. We might call them "friends with benefits" or "mutualists"--organisms that live symbiotically with us. We provide them with a lovely, warm home. They reciprocate by providing essential services we need for healthy digestion, brain function, and a proactive, but not overzealous, immune system.

An excellent example of this symbiosis is the gut microbiome.

The gastrointestinal tract has an overall surface area of 200 square meters, which is 100 times larger than the skin's surface area. This means that it has more exposure to the outside environment than any other body part! It makes sense then that this is where the most extensive and complex microbiome in our body resides.

The intestinal lining is a multi-layered system with distinct functions. The outside layer is a mucus barrier that prevents pathogenic bacterial adhesion, blocking infectious pathogens from accessing our inner tissues. The deeper functional barrier of the intestinal lining can, quite amazingly, distinguish the "good" bugs from the "pathogens." In other words, our mutualist microbes are tolerated while pathogens are recognized and eliminated.

Can we meet a mutualist?

We'd like to introduce you to clostridia.

While there are a few dangerous clostridial pathogens, most of the species in this group are mutualists. They are involved in the care and feeding of colonocytes (the epithelial cells of our colon). Clostridia initiate a fermentation process, the end product of which is butyrate. Butyrate just so happens to be the colonocyte's favorite food. Butyrate also has anti-inflammatory properties in the colon and is believed to help protect against colitis and colorectal cancer.

There is also evidence that clostridial species can convert inactive forms of dopamine and norepinephrine (neurotransmitters made in the gut) into their active forms. This is great news because these neurotransmitters can then be used for communication between the enteric nervous system and the brain. Clostridia, therefore, are a key part of the gut-brain communication pathway and must consequently influence mood.

If you haven't signed up yet, either as a new student or a monitor, we hope that you can join us on PaRama Campus for the BodyEcology course to explore the fascinating complexities of the microbiome and how it helps to shape our health (or disease). 

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