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Indole dysbiosis and mucosal inflammation
Ji Yeon Kim1, Ian M Cartwright1,2, Sean P Colgan1,2
1Mucosal Inflammation Program, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
None:
The inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) coincide with shifts in the composition of the microbiota. Since the gastrointestinal (GI) epithelium is anatomically positioned to provide a selective barrier between the microbiota and host lamina propria, this barrier is essential for intestinal homeostasis. Decades-old studies have appreciated that byproducts of the microbiota provide an essential communication network to the host. More recent work has identified microbial-derived metabolites that support multiple functions within the GI mucosa. One such family of metabolites are the indoles, tryptophan-derived molecules that signal within the microbiota and importantly, provide anti-inflammatory properties within the host mucosa. Here, we review the topic of indole production and signaling in the healthy and diseased mucosa.
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