Microbes vs. chemistry in the origin of the anaerobic gut lumen

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1718635115
• Publication Date: 2018-04-02T20:41:55Z
• Authors: Elliot S. Friedman; Kyle Bittinger; Tatiana V. Esipova; Likai Hou; Lillian Chau; Jack Jiang; Clementina Mesaros; Peder J. Lund; Xue Liang; Garret A. FitzGerald; Mark Goulian; Daeyeon Lee; Benjamin A. Garcia; Ian A. Blair; Sergei A. Vinogradov; Gary D. Wu
• Keywords: Obligate anaerobe; Lumen (anatomy); Microbial Metabolism

Significance It is generally thought that the gut microbes consume oxygen and maintain lumen in a deeply anaerobic state. However, we found of germ-free mice also anaerobic, suggesting there exist other mechanisms responsible for consumption addition to microbes’ respiration. These comprise oxidative reactions, such as oxidation lipids organic substrates. Both microbiota chemistry regulate luminal levels turn influence composition microbial communities throughout intestinal tract.