Microbe-microbe and host-microbe interactions drive microbiome dysbiosis and inflammatory processes

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Immunology
• Genetics

Background:

• The human body hosts a vast microbiome of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and bacteriophages across all sites, including tissues and blood.
• Microbial genomes interact with human genomes, regulating host metabolism and exhibiting both commensal and pathogenic capabilities.
• Inflammatory conditions like autoimmune, neurological, and malignant diseases are increasingly linked to microbial ecosystem dysbiosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the role of the collective microbiome activity in driving inflammatory processes.
• To understand the complex microbe-microbe and host-microbe interactions contributing to disease.
• To elucidate how microbial communities evade immune responses and dysregulate host gene expression.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of population-based microbiome studies.
• Investigation of microbe-microbe interactions within polymicrobial communities.
• Examination of host-microbe interactions, including intracellular persistence and molecular mimicry.

Main Results:

• Microbial communities employ strategies like forming polymicrobial entities to evade immune detection.
• Pathogens within communities can enhance collective virulence through altered gene expression.
• Microbes residing within immune cells can directly disrupt host cellular processes like transcription and DNA repair.

Conclusions:

• Host-microbe interactions, including molecular mimicry and pathogen-secreted molecules, dysregulate human gene expression, promoting imbalance and immunosuppression.
• The collective activity of the microbiome, through intricate interactions, drives metabolic dysfunction characteristic of inflammatory conditions.
• Understanding microbiome dysbiosis is crucial for addressing a wide range of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.