(18-01-11) The Microbes In Our Gut Regulate Genes That Control Obesity And Inflammation

New research in the FASEB Journal suggests that the absence of intestinal toll-
like receptor 2 affects gut bacteria, pointing to a new way to manage weight
and intestinal problems

If you are looking to lose weight in the coming year, you may need help from
an unexpected place: the bacteria in your gut. That's because scientists have
discovered that the bacteria living in your intestines may play a far more
significant role in weight loss and gastrointestinal problems than ever
imagined. In a new research report published online in The FASEB Journal (http:
//www.fasebj.org), researchers show that a deficiency of Toll-like receptor 2
(Tlr2)?used by mammals (including humans) to recognize resident microbes in the
intestines?leads to changes in gut bacteria that resemble those of lean animals
and humans. This discovery builds on previous research demonstrating that a
deficiency of TLR2 protects against obesity, while at the same time promoting
gastrointestinal problems like excessive inflammation. It also shows that genes
controlling TLR2 expression play a very important role in one's
gastrointestinal health and weight management.

"Our work highlights the remarkable capacity for an orchestrated reprogramming
of the intestinal inflammatory network to overcome significant genetic
challenges in the mammalian bowel," said Richard Kellermayer, Ph.D., a
researcher involved in the work from the Section of Pediatric Gastroenterology,
Hepatology and Nutrition at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. "The
appropriate exploitation of this remarkable capacity may provide means for the
prevention and optimized treatment of common metabolic (such as obesity and
diabetes) and gastrointestinal disorders."

To make this discovery, Kellermayer and colleagues studied normal mice and
mice deficient in TLR2 using the large intestinal lining of these mice. They
compared the TLR2-deficient ones to the normal group, as well as the bacteria,
the epigenome (more specifically DNA methylation, a molecular change in the DNA
associated with decreased gene expression), and the gene expression of the
animals. The researchers found that the absence of TLR2 leads to microbial
changes in the gut that resemble lean animals and humans, as well as
immunologic changes similar to those observed in ulcerative colitis.

"Every New Year, a significant percentage of us resolve ourselves to lose
weight," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal,
"but national statistics on obesity show that we're failing fast. This research
linking gut bacteria to TLR2 expression opens entirely new doors for weight
control solutions, first by cementing TLR2 as a drug target for obesity, and
second by providing further evidence that managing gut bacteria may be an
important and effective way to control weight. The challenge, of course, is to
find a way to tip the scales just enough to keep weight under control without
causing serious gastrointestinal problems."

Source: http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/

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