Persistent and transient colonizing species determine gut microbiota stability. Source: npj Biofilms and Microbiomes (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41522-024-00561-1
Using data from studying the same patients over a year, the scientists identified two types of microbes in the gut and suggest that labelling both beneficial and harmful bacteria in the gut may make them easier to treat.
Using gut microbiome data from a year-long individual study, researchers at King’s College London discovered two broad categories of microbes: persistent colonizing species (PCS), which are representative of a healthy gut, and transient colonizing species (TCS), which destabilize the gut and are associated with diseases such as type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer.
According to a new study published in npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, the two types of microbes in the gut microbiome keep each other in check, and while TCS is naturally low in humans, it can be influenced by external factors such as diet and lifestyle to produce large amounts of it. This can cause an imbalance, leading to the more common PCS causing complications in the gut.
PCS microbes thrive when exposed to high levels of protein and fiber, while potentially harmful TCS thrive in response to sugars and xenobiotics (substances foreign to the body, such as pesticides and food additives). By developing a customized meal plan and nutritional guidelines that nourish your PCS microbes and suppress TCS, you can effectively empower your body to maintain gut health and fight the onset of disease.
“The power of the gut microbiome and the dynamic changes it can have on health and disease are well known,” said Dr Shoai, Systems Biology Group Leader at King’s College London and senior author of the study. “Our study shows that although the balance of these microbes can change over time, it is possible to predict how these changes will occur.”
“Even bacteria that are normally low in abundance can suddenly increase in number, while beneficial bacteria decline. These changes in the gut don’t necessarily cause immediate symptoms, but even short-term imbalances can have lasting effects.”
“This disruption can lead to harmful changes in the gut microbiome that can persist and, over time, lead to the development of a range of diseases.
“Furthermore, we showed that transient bacteria can grow rapidly and produce toxins under certain conditions. This finding suggests that understanding the ratio of these two species could be useful for personalized diet plans. These two types of microbes could serve as potential markers to confirm the success of diet plans, which could be important for patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes.”
“These new classifications will transform the way researchers understand disease and think about new ways to develop effective treatments,” said Dr Seungjae Lee, first author of the paper. “We are now able to share this research with the world by including these labels in our freely available Gut Microbiome Atlas, which identifies the gut bacteria of people with 23 separate diseases across 19 countries.”
In addition to potentially being useful in treating disease, the ability to target and grow populations of PCS in the gut could be used as a preventative measure, keeping healthy patients’ guts healthy and lowering TCS levels and the likelihood of associated diseases. Extracting active molecules from PCS bacteria could therefore be an effective way to restore gut health for therapeutic use.
Further information: Sunjae Lee et al. “Transient colonizing microbes promote gut dysbiosis and dysfunction.” npj Biofilms and Microbiomes (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41522-024-00561-1
Courtesy of King’s College London
Citation: “Transient” Gut Bacteria May Affect Health and Guide Dietary Choices (September 20, 2024) Retrieved September 20, 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-transient-gut-bacteria-affect-health.html
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