Contribution of the Gut Barrier to Host-Microbiome Communication

There has been considerable interest in the gut microbiome in the past decade, leading to an explosion of publications reporting on how the composition of the microbiome changes with disease states and with attempts to alter the composition of the microbiome in an effort to treat illness. What has not been studied to the same extent is how the microbiome affects host functions. At present, bacterial metabolites and bacterial toxins have been implicated in disease pathogenesis, although the mechanisms by which these substances interact with the host are not well known. Although it is assumed that intact bacteria and their toxins penetrate the gut barrier through tight junctions, few in vivo data support this concept. It appears that intact bacteria, bacterial components, and bacterial metabolites do not simply diffuse between epithelial cells but rather cross the barrier through specialized pathways or interact with specific receptors in order to affect the host.

In this Special Issue, we shall focus on the mechanisms by which the gut microbiome communicates with the host, hoping to provide insight into why so many diseases are associated with alterations of the composition of the gut microbiome.

Prof. Jonathan D. Kaunitz
Dr. Akiba Yasutada
Guest Editors

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• Bacterial toxins
• Gut barrier function
• Toll-like receptors
• Endocytosis
• Bacterial metabolites
• Gut immune system
• Gut–liver axis