Why gut symbionts are not cleared by the infection-induced inflammation?

What is it about?

Beneficial microbes residing in the gut are frequently exposed to host immune effectors that are triggered by pathogens during infection. However, the healthy gut microbiota manages to maintain stability despite these challenges. In this study, we utilized the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and its microbiota as a model system to explore a fundamental characteristic of intestinal microbial communities: their resilience to inflammation. Our findings revealed that the ability of prominent gut symbionts to resist host antimicrobial peptides, facilitated by cell wall modifications, serves as a crucial mechanism for their resilience.

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Photo by Erik Karits on Unsplash

Photo by Erik Karits on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Our research demonstrates that the ability to resist antimicrobial peptides through cell wall modifications, which have traditionally been associated with pathogen virulence, is also crucial for maintaining stable interactions between microbiota and the host. This finding provides further evidence that the molecular dialogue governing host-symbiont and host-pathogen associations is shared. Furthermore, our study highlights the importance of commensal-encoded resilience mechanisms in addition to host immune tolerance in maintaining a stable association between the host and microbiota during episodes of inflammation.

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