Daily Current Affairs

Gut Microbiome and Health

Everyday Science Health and Diseases

Context: Scientists are finding that ‘Gut Microbiota may be linked to heart health, some cancers, and even the color of urine.

Aim: To generate the baseline microbiome data of Indians.
It will enable tracing trillions of microbes found in Indians, particularly on their skin.
Initiated by: This Union government-funded, Rs 150 crore project was initiated in 2019 by the Department of Biotechnology.
This study is being led by Pune’s National Centre for Microbial Resource (NCMR), which is a part of the National Centre for Cell Science.

The human microbiome is a community of trillions of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi archaea, protists and viruses) that live in our body, especially in the digestive tract.
These microbes change in response to the environment, diseases and human diets.
It is a dynamic community that plays a pivotal role in regulating our health and diseases.

Probiotics are foods or supplements that contain live microorganisms intended to maintain or improve the “good” bacteria (normal microflora) in the body.
These are foods (typically high-fiber foods) that act as food for human microflora. Prebiotics are used with the intention of improving the balance of these microorganisms.

These microorganisms are dynamic and play a pivotal role in regulating human health and diseases including the way humans digest food, absorb nutrients, develop immunity, etc.
For example: Autoimmune diseases such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, and fibromyalgia are associated with dysfunction in the microbiome.
Microbiota stimulate the immune system, break down potentially toxic food compounds, and synthesize certain vitamins and amino acids, including the B vitamins and vitamin K.
For example, the key enzymes needed to form vitamin B12 are only found in bacteria, not in plants and animals.

Cardiometabolic Traits: Researchers identified a link between genetic variants in the ABO blood group and microbial genes involved in metabolizing N-acetylgalactosamine (an amino-sugar).
This link provides a significance in identification of cardiometabolic traits, including lipid levels and blocks in blood vessels and risk of severe COVID-19 infections.
Colorectal Cancer: Recently, researchers found that the development of colorectal cancer could be mediated by administering a molecule called trans-3-indoleacrylic acid (IDA) or implanting the microbe Peptostreptococcus anaerobius.
The effects of IDA could be abolished by deleting two human genes – AHR or ALDH1A3.
Neuronal Signaling: Gut microbes produce vitamin B12, which could influence neuronal signaling by influencing the availability of free choline.
Choline is a molecule that neurons use to make a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine.
Jaundice: The human microbiome could be involved in the metabolism of urobilinogen. A bacterial enzyme, bilirubin reductase (BilR), is responsible for reducing bilirubin to urobilinogen.
The yellow color of urine comes from a pigment called urobilinogen.