A selective gut bacterial bile salt hydrolase alters host metabolism

The microbiome, the collection of bacteria that live in and on human bodies, has a strong influence on how well the body works. However, the diversity of the microbiome makes it difficult to untangle exactly how it has these effects. For example, it is poorly understood how the hundreds of species of bacteria that live in the gut affect metabolism – the chemical processes that make life possible. But they are known to influence how metabolic diseases like diabetes and obesity develop. When we eat a meal, the body releases compounds called bile acids to help to digest the food. Once the bile acids reach the colon, the bacteria residing there use enzymes to chemically modify the compounds. Imbalances in the resulting pool of over 50 different bile acids may accelerate how quickly people develop metabolic disorders. It is not clear, however, which bile acids have helpful or harmful effects on metabolism. Yao et al. first identified a selective version of a prevalent gut bacterial enzyme called a bile salt hydrolase. This enzyme was then deleted from a common gut bacterium using genetic tools. Finally, Yao et al. colonized mice lacking any bacteria (i.e., germ-free mice) with either the original bacterium or the hydrolase-deleted bacterium. Mice colonized with the hydrolase-deleted bacteria gained less weight on a high fat diet and had lower levels of fat in their blood and liver. These mice also shifted to burning fats instead of carbohydrates for energy. The changes in the bile acid pool produced in mice colonized with hydrolase-deleted bacteria did not only affect metabolism. Yao et al. found differences in the activity of genes important for other biological processes as well, such as those that control circadian rhythms and immune responses. Further research is needed to investigate whether limiting the activity of the bile salt hydrolase enzyme has similar effects in humans. If so, developing drugs or probiotics that target the enzyme could lead to new treatments for people with metabolic diseases like obesity and fatty liver disease. Investigating the biological effects of other bacterially modified bile acids may identify other possible treatments as well.