Researchers Discover Gut Microbe That Worsens Obesity, Hints Microbiome-Based Treatments

Obesity is a growing global health concern, and while modifying one's diet may appear to be a solution, many people do not respond to diet-based treatments alone.

MedicalXpress reports that researchers have discovered a gut microbe that worsens obesity, which could lead to new ways of treating the condition through the microbiome.

How Gut Microbes Contribute to Obesity

Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences discovered how a specific species of gut microbe called Fusimonas intestini exacerbates obesity in mice fed a high-fat diet in a recent study published in Cell Metabolism. This microbe is common in people who are obese or diabetic.

The study discovered that a high-fat diet could alter the expression of specific genes in F. intestini involved in fatty acid metabolism.

This change in the bacterium makes it produce too much of a type of fat that can make people gain weight. These fatty acids can hurt the lining of the gut and cause a little bit of inflammation, which can also make people gain weight.

Proving the Mutation in Mice

To prove that the altered gene expression was to blame, the researchers demonstrated that mice with only Escherichia coli bacteria with the same genetic changes in their guts were more likely to be obese. This discovery could lead to interventions that counteract the microbe's effects.

One of the study's authors, Hiroshi Ohno, believes that "removing F. intestini from the gut could help prevent obesity or obesity-related metabolic problems." Another strategy would be to prevent the metabolism of F. intestini."

With the help of food scientist Keishi Kameyama of the Japanese food company Ajinomoto, Ohno learned about F. intestini. Kameyama isolated the microbe and reported that it multiplied in obese mice. The two began discussing how they could work together to determine how this species might affect and cause obesity.

Not all gut bacteria, however, contribute to obesity; some can help to prevent it. The researchers are now looking into other bacterial species that can prevent rapid weight gain in high-fat mice.

The discovery of F. intestini's role in obesity is a significant step forward in the search for new obesity treatments. The microbiome has grown in importance in recent years, and this study emphasizes the potential for microbiome-based therapies for obesity and other metabolic disorders.

Even though the research was done on mice, it provides crucial insights into how gut microbes can affect human health.

Similar Studies

A new study has discovered that music intervention during feeding has a positive effect on the gut microbiota of mice.

The researchers discovered that feeding mice music significantly impacted their growth performance and gut microbes using clinical symptoms and 16S rRNA sequencing techniques.

Mice fed music had a significant increase in body weight after 25 days. Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the most abundant phyla in the gut microbiota, but their relative abundance varied after the musical intervention.

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