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Updated: May 9, 2026
11:22
Microbiota Analysis Using Two-step PCR and Next-generation 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing
Published on: October 15, 2019
The gut microbiota and obesity: from correlation to causality
1State Key Laboratory for Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Minhang Campus, Shanghai 200240, China.
Nature Reviews. Microbiology
|August 6, 2013
Summary
Establishing a causal link between gut microbiota and obesity is challenging. This opinion piece proposes using Koch's postulates to identify specific gut microbes responsible for obesity development.
Area of Science:
- Microbiome research
- Human physiology
- Disease causality
Background:
- The gut microbiota is increasingly associated with chronic diseases like obesity.
- Demonstrating direct causality between specific gut microbes and diseases remains a significant scientific hurdle.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the causal chain linking gut microbiota alterations to obesity development.
- To propose a framework for identifying specific causative agents within the human gut microbiota responsible for obesity.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing Koch's postulates as a conceptual framework to investigate causality.
- Reviewing evidence for the role of endotoxin-producing gut bacteria in obesity.
- Proposing a multi-pronged strategy for identifying causative microbial agents.
Main Results:
- Alterations in the gut microbiota, particularly endotoxin-producing members, are implicated in obesity pathogenesis.
- Koch's postulates provide a useful framework for dissecting microbial contributions to disease.
Conclusions:
- A clear strategy combining microbiome-wide association studies, mechanistic host response analysis, and gnotobiotic animal models is proposed.
- Identifying specific causative agents is crucial for understanding and potentially treating obesity linked to the gut microbiota.
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