title: Specialized metabolites from the microbiome in health and disease.
abstract: The microbiota, and the genes that comprise its microbiome, play key roles in human health. Host-microbe interactions affect immunity, metabolism, development, and behavior, and dysbiosis of gut bacteria contributes to disease. Despite advances in correlating changes in the microbiota with various conditions, specific mechanisms of host-microbiota signaling remain largely elusive. We discuss the synthesis of microbial metabolites, their absorption, and potential physiological effects on the host. We propose that the effects of specialized metabolites may explain present knowledge gaps in linking the gut microbiota to biological host mechanisms during initial colonization, and in health and disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
authors.forename: Gil
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sharon
authors.affiliation: Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
authors.forename: Neha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Garg
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
authors.forename: Justine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Debelius
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.affiliation: Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
authors.forename: Pieter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Dorrestein
authors.affiliation: Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA. Electronic address: sarkis@caltech.edu.
authors.forename: Sarkis K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Mazmanian
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000382:microbiology; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology*; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D054892:Metagenome; D064307:Microbiota; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology