Mechanisms underlying gut microbiota’s role in obesity

Energy absorption and short-chain fatty acids

Gut microbiota regulate energy metabolism through short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like acetate, butyrate, and propionate, which are products of fiber fermentation. While butyrate promotes insulin sensitivity and reduces inflammation, propionate may trigger overeating. Dysregulated SCFA production can contribute to obesity by enhancing energy absorption, disrupting appetite regulation, and promoting fat accumulation. Recent findings suggest that modulating SCFA production through dietary interventions can help regulate energy balance and improve metabolic health. Maintaining SCFA balance through diet or microbial modulation holds promise for obesity management.

Scientists at Caltech and Princeton University have discovered that bacterial cells growing in a solution of polymers, such as mucus, form long cables that buckle and twist on each other, building a kind of “living Jell-O.”

The finding could be particularly important to the study and treatment of diseases such as cystic fibrosis, in which the mucus that lines the lungs becomes more concentrated, often causing bacterial infections that take hold in that mucus to become life threatening. This discovery could also have implications in studies of polymer-secreting conglomerations of bacteria known as biofilms—the slippery goo on river rocks, for example—and in industrial applications where they can cause equipment malfunctions and health hazards.

The work is described in a paper published on January 17 in the journal Science Advances.