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Updated: Aug 6, 2025

Author Spotlight: Gut Microbiome-Lung Tissue Communication Through Short-Chain Fatty Acid Analysis
Published on: June 21, 2024
Bacterial acetate metabolism and its influence on human epithelia
Jennifer Hosmer1, Alastair G McEwan1, Ulrike Kappler1
1School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia.
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Short-chain fatty acids are known modulators of host-microbe interactions and can affect human health, inflammation, and outcomes of microbial infections. Acetate is the most abundant but least well-studied of these modulators, with most studies focusing on propionate and butyrate, which are considered to be more potent. In this mini-review, we summarize current knowledge of acetate as an important anti-inflammatory modulator of interactions between hosts and microorganisms. This includes a summary of the pathways by which acetate is metabolized by bacteria and human cells, the functions of acetate in bacterial cells, and the impact that microbially derived acetate has on human immune function.
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