title: Microbial-derived butyrate: an oncometabolite or tumor-suppressive metabolite?
abstract: Dietary factors, microbial composition, and metabolism are intimately intertwined into a complex network whose activities influence important intestinal functions. In a recent issue of Cell, Belcheva et al. (2014) show that microbial-derived butyrate promotes proliferation of cancer-initiated intestinal epithelial cells, suggesting that it can act as an oncometabolite.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27516, USA. Electronic address: scott_bultman@med.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Scott J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Bultman
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases & Pathology, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA. Electronic address: christian.jobin@medicine.ufl.edu.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jobin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000378:metabolism*; D051718:MutS Homolog 2 Protein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D051718:MutS Homolog 2 Protein