Seminar

Microbiota phenolic metabolites to target bacteria-related gastrointestinal diseases.

Hector Rodríguez, PhD

The risk for gastrointestinal disorders, IBD and colorectal cancer (CRC) among others, is likely to be influenced by the interaction between diet and gut microbiota. Oral pathogens have been identified as key inducers of cancer pathogenesis and tumor growth in human intestine and as main candidates for IBD exacerbation. These evidences argue for the modulation of the microbiota composition as an alternative treatment for pathobiont-related gastrointestinal disease. Diet has been repeatedly shown as one of the major modulators of microbiota populations. Individuals with different microbiota compositions likely show different metabolite production and therefore, a distinctive arsenal of antimicrobial and immunomodulatory compounds to manage gut pathobiont invasion. In particular, dietary phenolic metabolites derived from gallotannins, known antibacterial compounds against pathogens, constitute an emerging source of compounds that can modulate microbial populations and their associated metabolomes. Performed meta-analyses of human sample data show the prevalence of putative enzymatic activities related to gallotanin degradation in the gut microbiota and whose presence is strongly associated with the prevalence of F. nucleatum and other pathobionts related to CRC and IBD. This analysis also shows that some products of these metabolic pathways could be controlling ecological dynamics within the gut, affecting gut pathobiont fitness. In my talk, I will show our recent research describing and characterizing new enzymes of the gallotannin degradative pathway in the gut and their connection to CRC and IBD. I will also present research suggesting how some phenolic metabolites produced by these microbial enzymes might control pathobiont populations and innate immune responses within the gut depending on the individuals capacity of transforming ingested phenolic compounds into antimicrobial metabolites. In the future, the rational manipulation of these microbial activities might emerge as an alternative treatment for gastrointestinal diseases.