Research Highlights: Infection trains the host for microbiota-enhanced resistance to pathogens
- Microbiome protects host from infections.
- This process of protection is called colonization resistance.
- However, this fundamental process remains largely unknown.
- Study shows that previously infected hosts display improved gut microbiota to resist infection.
- This micro-community improvement is associated with changes in bile acid metabolism.
- The remodeled micro-community includes expanded taxa that utilize the sulfonic acid taurine.
- Taurine is involve in various physiological functions such as bile acid conjugation and cell membrane stabilization.[1]
- Additionally, supplying external taurine can induce this alteration to improve resistance.
- Taurine encourages the microbiome to produce sulfide which is key to host invasion by a number of pathogens.
- Sulfide is an organic compound that inhibits cellular respiration.
- Pharmaceutical removal of sulfide affects the composition of microbiota and encourages pathogen invasion.
- The result reveals that infection can deploy taurine as a nutrient to improve microbiota and promote resistance to future infection.
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