Gut’s Microbial Community Shown to Influence Host Gene Expression

germ_free_mice15_6850-550x367The upshot of the study from researchers in the Epigenetics theme at WID is another indictment of the so-called Western diet, high in saturated fats, sugar, and red meat. Writing online Nov. 23 in the journal Molecular Cell, a team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin–Madison describes new research helping tease out the mechanics of how the gut microbiome communicates with the cells of its host to switch genes on and off. The upshot of the study, another indictment of the so-called Western diet (high in saturated fats, sugar and red meat), reveals how the metabolites produced by the bacteria in the stomach chemically communicate with cells, including cells far beyond the colon, to dictate gene expression and health in its host. read more