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Updated: May 4, 2026

A Method to Define the Effects of Environmental Enrichment on Colon Microbiome Biodiversity in a Mouse Colon Tumor Model
Published on: February 28, 2018
Cross-domain metabolic interactions link Methanobrevibacter smithii to colorectal cancer microbial ecosystems
Rokhsareh Mohammadzadeh1, Alexander Mahnert1, Tamara Zurabishvili1
1Diagnostic and Research Institute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Abstract:
The human gut is colonized by trillions of microbes that influence the health of their human host. Whereas many bacterial species have now been linked to a variety of different diseases, the involvement of Archaea, an evolutionarily distinct group of microbes, in human disease remains elusive. By analyzing 19 independent clinical studies, we demonstrate that associations between Archaea and human diseases are widespread yet highly heterogeneous, with a pronounced and consistent enrichment of Methanobrevibacter smithii in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Metabolic modelling and in vitro co-culture identified distinct mutualistic interactions of M. smithii with CRC-causing bacteria such as Fusobacterium nucleatum, including metabolic enhancement. Metabolomics further reveal archaeal-derived compounds with tumor-modulating properties. Together, our results provide mechanistic insights into how the human gut archaeome may participate in CRC-associated microbial networks through metabolic cooperation with bacteria.
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