Microbes "rule" with human genes
Last reviewed: 17.10.2021
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Bacteria in the intestines depress the function of enzyme substances responsible for the management of DNA storage.
People have long known that digestive microbes have a direct effect on metabolic processes, immune defense, as well as an indirect effect on brain activity. They probably also make their corrections to the gene structures: for some reason, some genes are activated, while others are blocked. How does this work for bacteria?
Specialists representing the University of Babraham (UK) state that digestive microorganisms modify gene activity using short fatty acids - for example, butyric acid. These acids inhibit the action of specific enzymes, such as histone deacetylases, which control human genes.
Acids co-operate with other protein structures, which are called histones. The latter act as "keepers" of DNA. The interaction of histones with DNA is constant, but in some cases they are too dense, or vice versa, weakly "pack" the DNA. This makes it difficult to read the genetic information by a specific molecular apparatus.
With what force histones "pack" DNA - it depends on chemical modifications. Each cell structure has a number of enzymes that mark histones with certain markers, which forces them to "pack" DNA with different degrees of density.
In a series of such enzymes there are already familiar histone deacetylases. Their job is to remove the markers from the histones. However, their functionality is also dependent on many factors - for example, on molecular structures that disconnect these enzymes. Studies have revealed that intestinal microbes, with the help of fatty acids, are able to turn off one of the varieties of histone deacetylases. As a result, histones continue to be "labeled". The association of "labeled" histones with DNA is different from that of conventional histones - they affect gene activity differently.
What can this lead to? Previous studies have revealed that the high activity of this enzyme increases the risk of developing a malignant tumor of the large intestine : the enzyme so affects the gene activity in the epithelial structures of the intestine that the latter are transformed and become malignant. New experiments on rodents showed that if mice were "cleared" of intestinal bacteria, then they had a marked increase in the activity of that enzyme. From this we can conclude: intestinal microbes protect a person from malignant processes in the large intestine. Although this statement still needs to be confirmed by other studies.
In conclusion, the following should be said: microbes synthesize much more important short fatty acids if a person consumes more plant foods (mainly fruit and vegetable food). Speaking differently, for the qualitative work of microorganisms in the digestive system, they need to regularly supply plant products. This statement can become an additional strong argument: you need to eat healthy food with sufficient intake of fruits and vegetables.
Details about the study are written in Nature Communications.