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<div about="/news-events/nih-research-matters/gut-bacteria-use-nutrient-fight-germs" typeof="sioc:Item foaf:Document" class="ds-1col node node--nih-research-matters view-mode-full node--full node--nih-research-matters--full clearfix">
<p class="publishdate"><span property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2021-02-02T00:00:00-05:00" class="date-display-single">February 2, 2021</span></p><div class='syndicate'><h1>Gut bacteria use nutrient to fight off germs</h1><div class="callout callout-with-border"><h3>At a Glance</h3>
<ul>
<li>Research in mice showed that gut bacteria use an essential amino acid to protect the host from invading pathogens.</li>
<li>The results could aid efforts seeking alternatives to antibiotics.</li>
</ul></div><div class="media-float-right"><div class="ds-1col file file-image file-image-jpeg view-mode-floated_media clearfix">
<picture title="Klebsiella pneumoniae on surface of human neutrophil">
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<source srcset="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/styles/floated_media_breakpoint-large/public/news-events/research-matters/2021/20210202-gut.jpg?itok=ZsNR_mpq&amp;timestamp=1612204485 1x" media="screen and (min-width: 960px)" />
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<source srcset="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/styles/floated_media_breakpoint-medium-small/public/news-events/research-matters/2021/20210202-gut.jpg?itok=gvow2vt2&amp;timestamp=1612204485 1x" media="screen and (min-width: 600px)" />
<source srcset="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/styles/floated_media_breakpoint-small/public/news-events/research-matters/2021/20210202-gut.jpg?itok=GUyVhN7V&amp;timestamp=1612204485 1x" media="screen and (min-width: 480px)" />
<source srcset="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/styles/floated_media_breakpoint-tiny/public/news-events/research-matters/2021/20210202-gut.jpg?itok=VCVMIiTB&amp;timestamp=1612204485 1x" media="screen and (min-width: 0)" />
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<img src="https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/styles/floated_media_breakpoint-medium/public/news-events/research-matters/2021/20210202-gut.jpg?itok=aQjwby-q&amp;timestamp=1612204485" alt="Klebsiella pneumoniae on surface of human neutrophil" title="Klebsiella pneumoniae on surface of human neutrophil" />
</picture><span class="caption">Colorized scanning electron micrograph showing carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae interacting with a human neutrophil. </span><span class="credit">NIAID</span></div>
</div><p>Trillions of microbes, like bacteria, fungi, and other microbes, are living on or in your body right now. Together, they make up your microbiota. Most dont cause any harm. In fact, many protect you from harmful infections.</p>
<p>Bacteria live in colonies. This lets them work together to form defenses against other bacteria. But how they defend themselves from infiltrating bacteria isnt fully understood. A better understanding of how they do so could help scientists find alternatives to antibiotics, which harm beneficial microbes and can become less effective as pathogens develop drug resistance.</p>
<p>A team of NIH scientists led by Drs. Apollo Stacey and Yasmine Belkaid of NIHs National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) used mice that had experienced prior infections to examine how this might change the way the microbiota fight off pathogens. The study was published on January 15, 2021 in <em>Cell.</em></p>
<p>The researchers examined the microbes of mice whod been infected with <em>Yersinia pseudotuberculosis</em>, a food-borne pathogen. After the mice recovered, the team tested their resistance to <em>Klebsiella pneumoniae</em> (<em>Kpn</em>). <em>Kpn </em>is harbored by healthy people in low levels; however, its also associated with life-threatening infections in hospitalized patients.</p>
<p>The researchers observed enhanced resistance to <em>Kpn</em> in mice four weeks after infection. This protection lasted for at least 15 weeks. It could also be transferred by giving the gut microbes from previously exposed mice to germ-free mice, suggesting a role for the microbiota.</p>
<p>Through analysis of the microbiota, the team identified a class of bacteria—<em>Deltaproteobacteria</em>—involved in fighting these infections. Further analysis led them to identify taurine as the trigger for <em>Deltaproteobacteria</em> activity. Taurine is an amino acid that helps the body digest fats and oils. It is found naturally in bile acids in the gut. The <em>Deltaproteobacteria</em> produce an antimicrobial compound from taurine called sulfide.</p>
<p>The team found that taurine given to mice as a supplement in drinking water also helped the microbiota to prevent infection. However, when mice drank water containing bismuth subsalicylate—a common over-the-counter drug used to treat diarrhea and upset stomach—infection protection waned because bismuth inhibits sulfide production.</p>
<p>The scientists believe that infection induces the body to alter bile production, increasing levels of taurine in the gut. This prompts gut microbes to produce high levels of sulfide to prevent colonization by pathogens.</p>
<p>“We discovered that hosts can adapt to infections by nourishing their gut microbiota with taurine, a strategy that serves to boost the microbiotas production of sulfide and ensure its heightened resistance against future pathogen invasions,” says Belkaid.</p></div><h2 class="label-above">Related Links</h2><ul class="spaced print-urls"><li><a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/immune-cells-trained-gut-protect-brain" target="_top">Immune Cells Trained in the Gut Protect the Brain</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/gut-bacteria-may-contribute-abnormal-blood-vessel-formation" target="_top">Gut Bacteria May Contribute to Abnormal Blood Vessel Formation</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/tracking-spread-parkinsons-proteins-gut-brain" target="_top">Tracking the Spread of Parkinsons Proteins from Gut to Brain</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/gut-microbe-drives-autoimmunity" target="_top">Gut Microbe Drives Autoimmunity</a></li><li><a href="https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2012/11/your-microbes-you" target="_top">Your Microbes and You: The Good, Bad and Ugly</a></li><li><a href="https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2017/05/keeping-your-gut-check" target="_top">Keeping Your Gut in Check</a></li><li><a href="https://www.niaid.nih.gov/research/antimicrobial-resistance" target="_top">Antimicrobial (Drug) Resistance</a></li></ul><p class="footnote"><strong class="label-inline">References:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33453153/">Infection trains the host for microbiota-enhanced resistance to pathogens</a>. Stacy A, Andrade-Oliveira V, McCulloch JA, Hild B, Oh JH, Perez-Chaparro PJ, Sim CK, Lim AI, Link VM, Enamorado M, Trinchieri G, Segre JA, Rehermann B, Belkaid Y. <em>Cell</em>. 2021 Jan 15:S0092-8674(20)31681-0. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.12.011. Online ahead of print. PMID: 33453153.</p><p class="footnote"><strong class="label-inline">Funding:&nbsp;</strong>NIHS National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), and NIH Directors Office; Pew Charitable Trusts; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft; Human Frontier Science Program; Cancer Research Institute.</p>
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