The Enclosed Intestinal Microbiome: Semiochemical Signals from the Precambrian and Their Disruption by Heavy Metal...

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary Biology
• Microbiome Research
• Human Health

Background:

• Non-communicable diseases are increasingly linked to intestinal microbiome degradation (dysbiosis).
• Vertebrate animals and their microbiomes likely coevolved, utilizing semiochemical signaling.
• The microbiome functions as a bioreactor, influencing host immunity and metabolism.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the function of microbial partners in multicellular animals.
• To investigate the co-evolutionary origins of the host-microbiome relationship.
• To propose a link between microbiome degradation, loss of semiochemical signaling, and non-communicable diseases.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of resultant diseases from microbiome degradation.
• Consideration of the microbiome's role as an enclosed bioreactor.
• Hypothesizing maternal microbial inheritance and its role in immune system adjustment.

Main Results:

• Microeukaryotes may act as microbial sentinel cells for the immune system.
• Bacteriophage viruses drive rapid microbial composition turnover via a viral-shunt mechanism.
• High microbial diversity is essential for horizontal gene transfer and functional expression.

Conclusions:

• Disconnection of the host-microbiome relationship, potentially due to environmental factors like heavy metal poisoning, leads to non-communicable diseases via loss of semiochemical signaling.
• Maternal microbial inheritance is crucial for neonate immune system development.
• Dysbiosis, rather than poor diet alone, may be the primary driver of diseases like type 2 diabetes due to impaired semiochemical signaling affecting fat metabolism.