MicroRNAs: Decoders of Dysbiosis into Metabolic Diseases?

Abstract

The identification of molecular factors bridging gut microbiota dysbiosis to alterations of host metabolism still remains a major goal in biomedical research. In fact, on one hand, there is a worldwide consensus about the systemic impact, from brain to liver, from heart to adipose tissue, of gut microbiota dysbiosis. On the other hand, beyond the microbial production of short chain fatty acids and their vast metabolic properties, little is known about the molecular mechanisms linking a change in the activity of gut microbes to a modification of host cell metabolism. In this context, microRNAs (also known as miRs) are promising molecules which could allow explaining how dysbiosis is converted into metabolic outcomes since: 1-miRs are pleiotropic regulators of gene expression, targeting multiple mRNAs at once; 2-miRs expression in specific organs such as the intestine has been demonstrated to be under the control of gut microbiota; 3-alterations in miRs expression have been found in the majority of tissues targeted by gut microbiota dysbiosis during metabolic diseases such as liver, adipose tissue, pancreas, skeletal muscle, intestine, heart and also the brain. In this review publications in the growing field of miRsbased metabolic control at a systemic level will be discussed together with a putative link with gut microbiota dysbiosis.

Neonatal exposure to androgens dynamically alters gut microbiota architecture

“…Taken together, our results support the idea that changes in the gut microbiome composition, in response to alterations in sex hormones, may trigger a further gene expression response in the host for selective gut microbial colonization, via miRNAs as a mediator of this process. Thus, the potential contribution of intestinal bacteria to the expression levels of miRNAs as a gut microbiotaintestine cross-talk system, in line with previous studies (Liu et al 2016, Serino 2016, would link changes in the gut microbiota composition to processes such as metabolism and sex hormone metabolic programming.…”

“…As intestinal miRNAs are increasingly recognized as potential decoders of dysbiosis into cardiometabolic diseases, we also explored the putative cross-talk between gut microbiota and host through regulation of miRNA expression in small and large intestine (Liu et al 2016, Serino 2016. Of note, we did not include in the analysis all the bacterial taxa but only those identified by LEfSe analysis in order to reduce the random association.…”

“…In this study, we aimed to explore, using suitable preclinical (rat) models, the putative role of sex steroid milieu at early developmental periods, alone or in combination with obesogenic insults later in life, as persistent modifiers of gut microbiota architecture, in the context of development of metabolic alterations. In order to shed light on the putative mechanisms for the integration between gut microbiota and host, we also explored the cross-talk between gut microbiota and the host through regulation of the expression of miRNAs in small and large intestine, as intestinal miRNAs are increasingly recognized as potential decoders of the impact of dysbiosis into cardiometabolic diseases (Liu et al 2016, Serino 2016.…”