Probing and manipulating the gut microbiome with chemistry and chemical tools

The human gut microbiome represents an extended “second genome” harbouring about 1015 microbes containing >100 times the number of genes as the host. States of health and disease are largely mediated by host–microbial metabolic interplay, and the microbiome composition also underlies the differen...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Pavan K. Mantravadi, Basavaraj S. Kovi, Sabbasani Rajasekhara Reddy, Ganesh Pandian Namasivayam, Karunakaran Kalesh, Anutthaman Parthasarathy
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2025-01-01
Series:Gut Microbiome
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2632289725000040/type/journal_article
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849310678522789888
author Pavan K. Mantravadi
Basavaraj S. Kovi
Sabbasani Rajasekhara Reddy
Ganesh Pandian Namasivayam
Karunakaran Kalesh
Anutthaman Parthasarathy
author_facet Pavan K. Mantravadi
Basavaraj S. Kovi
Sabbasani Rajasekhara Reddy
Ganesh Pandian Namasivayam
Karunakaran Kalesh
Anutthaman Parthasarathy
author_sort Pavan K. Mantravadi
collection DOAJ
description The human gut microbiome represents an extended “second genome” harbouring about 1015 microbes containing >100 times the number of genes as the host. States of health and disease are largely mediated by host–microbial metabolic interplay, and the microbiome composition also underlies the differential responses to chemotherapeutic agents between people. Chemical information will be the key to tackle this complexity and discover specific gut microbiome metabolism for creating more personalised interventions. Additionally, rising antibiotic resistance and growing awareness of gut microbiome effects are creating a need for non-microbicidal therapeutic interventions. We classify chemical interventions for the gut microbiome into categories like molecular decoys, bacterial conjugation inhibitors, colonisation resistance-stimulating molecules, “prebiotics” to promote the growth of beneficial microbes, and inhibitors of specific gut microbial enzymes. Moreover, small molecule probes, including click chemistry probes, artificial substrates for assaying gut bacterial enzymes and receptor agonists/antagonists, which engage host receptors interacting with the microbiome, are some other promising developments in the expanding chemical toolkit for probing and modulating the gut microbiome. This review explicitly excludes “biologics” such as probiotics, bacteriophages, and CRISPR to concentrate on chemistry and chemical tools like chemoproteomics in the gut-microbiome context.
format Article
id doaj-art-a2a3f70a43434ecc97e13e1e9b350c63
institution Kabale University
issn 2632-2897
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Cambridge University Press
record_format Article
series Gut Microbiome
spelling doaj-art-a2a3f70a43434ecc97e13e1e9b350c632025-08-20T03:53:39ZengCambridge University PressGut Microbiome2632-28972025-01-01610.1017/gmb.2025.4Probing and manipulating the gut microbiome with chemistry and chemical toolsPavan K. Mantravadi0Basavaraj S. Kovi1Sabbasani Rajasekhara Reddy2Ganesh Pandian Namasivayam3Karunakaran Kalesh4Anutthaman Parthasarathy5https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1830-5948CMC and Analytical, Cytokinetics, South San Francisco, CA, USAInstitute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (ICeMS), Kyoto University, Kyoto, JapanDepartment of Chemistry, School of Advanced Sciences, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, IndiaInstitute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (ICeMS), Kyoto University, Kyoto, JapanSchool of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, UK National Horizons Centre, Darlington, UKThe School of Chemistry and Biosciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, UKThe human gut microbiome represents an extended “second genome” harbouring about 1015 microbes containing >100 times the number of genes as the host. States of health and disease are largely mediated by host–microbial metabolic interplay, and the microbiome composition also underlies the differential responses to chemotherapeutic agents between people. Chemical information will be the key to tackle this complexity and discover specific gut microbiome metabolism for creating more personalised interventions. Additionally, rising antibiotic resistance and growing awareness of gut microbiome effects are creating a need for non-microbicidal therapeutic interventions. We classify chemical interventions for the gut microbiome into categories like molecular decoys, bacterial conjugation inhibitors, colonisation resistance-stimulating molecules, “prebiotics” to promote the growth of beneficial microbes, and inhibitors of specific gut microbial enzymes. Moreover, small molecule probes, including click chemistry probes, artificial substrates for assaying gut bacterial enzymes and receptor agonists/antagonists, which engage host receptors interacting with the microbiome, are some other promising developments in the expanding chemical toolkit for probing and modulating the gut microbiome. This review explicitly excludes “biologics” such as probiotics, bacteriophages, and CRISPR to concentrate on chemistry and chemical tools like chemoproteomics in the gut-microbiome context.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2632289725000040/type/journal_articlegut microbiomechemistryprebioticsconjugation inhibitorschemical probes
spellingShingle Pavan K. Mantravadi
Basavaraj S. Kovi
Sabbasani Rajasekhara Reddy
Ganesh Pandian Namasivayam
Karunakaran Kalesh
Anutthaman Parthasarathy
Probing and manipulating the gut microbiome with chemistry and chemical tools
Gut Microbiome
gut microbiome
chemistry
prebiotics
conjugation inhibitors
chemical probes
title Probing and manipulating the gut microbiome with chemistry and chemical tools
title_full Probing and manipulating the gut microbiome with chemistry and chemical tools
title_fullStr Probing and manipulating the gut microbiome with chemistry and chemical tools
title_full_unstemmed Probing and manipulating the gut microbiome with chemistry and chemical tools
title_short Probing and manipulating the gut microbiome with chemistry and chemical tools
title_sort probing and manipulating the gut microbiome with chemistry and chemical tools
topic gut microbiome
chemistry
prebiotics
conjugation inhibitors
chemical probes
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2632289725000040/type/journal_article
work_keys_str_mv AT pavankmantravadi probingandmanipulatingthegutmicrobiomewithchemistryandchemicaltools
AT basavarajskovi probingandmanipulatingthegutmicrobiomewithchemistryandchemicaltools
AT sabbasanirajasekharareddy probingandmanipulatingthegutmicrobiomewithchemistryandchemicaltools
AT ganeshpandiannamasivayam probingandmanipulatingthegutmicrobiomewithchemistryandchemicaltools
AT karunakarankalesh probingandmanipulatingthegutmicrobiomewithchemistryandchemicaltools
AT anutthamanparthasarathy probingandmanipulatingthegutmicrobiomewithchemistryandchemicaltools