The Gut’s Viral Gatekeepers: How the Enteric Virome Directs Metabolism
A new study in Cell Host & Microbe reveals that the community of viruses in the gut, known as the enteric virome, plays a direct and autonomous role in regulating intestinal metabolism. Researchers found that this virome, which is dominated by bacteriophages, can activate specific host immune signaling pathways. This immune activation, in turn, modulates how the intestine digests and absorbs carbohydrates, establishing the virome as a key functional link between the broader microbial ecosystem and the host’s metabolic functions.
Why it might matter to you: This research fundamentally expands the concept of the microbiome beyond bacteria to include viruses as active regulators of host physiology. For professionals focused on microbial ecology, host-microbe interactions, or metabolic diseases, it suggests that therapeutic strategies targeting the gut ecosystem may need to account for the virome. Understanding this viral influence could open new avenues for modulating immune and metabolic disorders through phage-based or antiviral interventions.
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