Metabolic, Epigenetic, and Transgenerational Effects of Gut Bacterial Choline Consumption.

ABSTRACT: Choline is an essential nutrient and methyl donor required for epigenetic regulation. Here, we assessed the impact of gut microbial choline metabolism on bacterial fitness and host biology by engineering a microbial community that lacks a single choline-utilizing enzyme. Our results indicate that choline-utilizing bacteria compete with the host for this nutrient, significantly impacting plasma and hepatic levels of methyl-donor metabolites and recapitulating biochemical signatures of choline deficiency. Mice harboring high levels of choline-consuming bacteria showed increased susceptibility to metabolic disease in the context of a high-fat diet. Furthermore, bacterially induced reduction of methyl-donor availability influenced global DNA methylation patterns in both adult mice and their of

SUBMITTER: Romano KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5599363 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature