(Press-News.org) Food manufacturers often add preservatives to food products to keep them fresh. A primary purpose of these preservatives is to kill microbes that could break down and otherwise spoil the food. Common additives like sugar, salt, vinegar and alcohol have been used as preservatives for centuries, but modern-day food labels now reveal more unfamiliar ingredients such as sodium benzoate, calcium propionate, and potassium sorbate.
Bacteria produce chemicals called bacteriocins to kill microbial competitors. These chemicals can serve as natural preservatives by killing potentially dangerous pathogens in food. Lanthipeptides, a class of bacteriocins with especially potent antimicrobial properties, are widely used by the food industry and have become known as “lantibiotics” (a scientific portmanteau of lanthipeptide and antibiotics).
Despite their widespread use, however, little is known about how these lantibiotics affect the gut microbiomes of people who consume them in food. Microbes in the gut live in a delicate balance, and commensal bacteria provide important benefits to the body by breaking down nutrients, producing metabolites, and—importantly—protecting against pathogens. If too many commensals are indiscriminately killed off by antimicrobial food preservatives, opportunistic pathogenic bacteria might take their place and wreak havoc—a result no better than eating contaminated food in the first place.
Effects on good and bad bacteria
A new study published in ACS Chemical Biology by scientists from the University of Chicago found that one of the most common classes of lantibiotics has potent effects both against pathogens and against the commensal gut bacteria that keep us healthy.
Nisin is a popular lantibiotic used in everything from beer and sausage to cheese and dipping sauces. It is produced by bacteria that live in the mammary glands of cows, but microbes in the human gut produce similar lantibiotics too. Zhenrun “Jerry” Zhang, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in the lab of Eric Pamer, MD, the Donald F. Steiner Professor of Medicine and Director of the Duchossois Family Institute at UChicago, wanted to study the impact of such naturally-produced lantibiotics on commensal gut bacteria.
“Nisin is, in essence, an antibiotic that has been added to our food for a long time, but how it might impact our gut microbes is not well studied,” Zhang said. “Even though it might be very effective in preventing food contamination, it might also have a greater impact on our human gut microbes.”
He and his colleagues mined a public database of human gut bacteria genomes and identified genes for producing six different gut-derived lantibiotics that closely resemble nisin, four of which were new. Then, in collaboration with Wilfred A. van der Donk, PhD, the Richard E. Heckert Endowed Chair in Chemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, they produced versions of these lantibiotics to test their effects on both pathogens and commensal gut bacteria. The researchers found that while the different lantibiotics had varying effects, they killed pathogens and commensal bacteria alike.
“This study is one of the first to show that gut commensals are susceptible to lantibiotics, and are sometimes more sensitive than pathogens,” Zhang said. “With the levels of lantibiotics currently present in food, it’s very probable that they might impact our gut health as well.”
Harnessing the power of lantibiotics
Zhang and his team also studied the structure of peptides in the lantibiotics to better understand their activity, in the interest of learning how to use their antimicrobial properties for good. For example, in another study, the Pamer lab showed that a consortium of four microbes, including one that produces lantibiotics, help protect mice against antibiotic-resistant Enterococcus infections. They are also studying the prevalence of lantibiotic-resistant genes across different populations of people to better understand how such bacteria can colonize the gut under different conditions and diets.
“It seems that lantibiotics and lantibiotic-producing bacteria are not always good for health, so we are looking for ways to counter the potential bad influence while taking advantage of their more beneficial antimicrobial properties,” Zhang said.
The study, “Activity of Gut-derived Nisin-like Lantibiotics Against Human Gut Pathogens and Commensals,” was supported by the GI Research Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the National Institutes of Health (grants R01AI095706, P01 CA023766, U01 AI124275, and R01 AI042135) and the Duchossois Family Institute at UChicago. Additional authors include Chunyu Wu, Ryan Moreira, and Darian Dorantes from the Univeristy of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Téa Pappas, Anitha Sundararajan, and Huaiying Lin from UChicago.
END
Common food preservative has unexpected effects on the gut microbiome
Analysis of a common preservative used to kill pathogens in food shows that it affects beneficial bacteria as well, threatening the healthy balance of the gut microbiome.
2024-02-02
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Single-port robotic surgery is making its debut in the mountain west
2024-02-02
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah (the U) proudly introduces the first and only single-port robot in the Mountain West for head and neck surgical oncology patients. This state-of-the-art technology is a groundbreaking step in the field of oncological surgery, allowing for greater precision and less invasive procedures. Under the visionary leadership of dedicated healthcare professionals, the institute is committed to revolutionizing treatments for cancer patients.
“I am delighted that Huntsman Cancer Institute can now offer cancer patients in the Mountain West access to this innovative and life-changing technology,” says Sachin ...
Potential to ‘save more lives than doctors’: Rice launches WaTER Institute to develop accessible clean water technology
2024-02-02
Forty-three million Americans lack access to municipal water, and 1 in 10 people globally do not have access to safe drinking water. Rice University’s new WaTER Institute, launched today, aims to address this and other complex water-related challenges.
“Clean water can save more lives than doctors,” said Pedro J. Alvarez , the institute’s director and the George R. Brown Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
The institute’s researchers will also predict and prevent diseases by monitoring wastewater; ...
New guidelines aim to elevate comprehensive care for people with severe epilepsy
2024-02-02
(February 2, 2024) The National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC) has developed updated guidelines that outline the comprehensive services and resources epilepsy centers should provide to improve quality of care for people whose epilepsy is not well-controlled.
An Executive Summary of the 2023 Guidelines for Specialized Epilepsy Centers: Report of the National Association of Epilepsy Centers Guideline Panel was published online on February 2, 2024, in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The complete NAEC guidelines are published as an eAppendix on the journal’s website.
Epilepsy is one of the most ...
Welch Foundation supports Johnson-Winters' TB research
2024-02-02
With a $300,000 grant, the Welch Foundation is supporting University of Texas at Arlington research into why some types of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the bacteria that causes the lung disease tuberculosis (TB), do not respond to treatments.
Since its founding in 1954, the Houston-based Welch Foundation has contributed to the advancement of chemistry through research grants, departmental programs, endowed chairs and other special projects in Texas.
“As one of the nation’s largest private funding sources for chemical research, it is our job ...
A sleeker facial recognition technology tested on Michelangelo’s David
2024-02-02
Many people are familiar with facial recognition systems that unlock smartphones and game systems or allow access to our bank accounts online. But the current technology can require boxy projectors and lenses. Now, researchers report in ACS’ Nano Letters a sleeker 3D surface imaging system with flatter, simplified optics. In proof-of-concept demonstrations, the new system recognized the face of Michelangelo’s David just as well as an existing smartphone system.
3D surface imaging is a common tool used in smartphone facial recognition, as well as in computer vision and autonomous driving. These systems typically consist of a dot projector that contains multiple components: ...
Plant groupings in drylands support ecosystem resilience
2024-02-02
Many complex systems, from microbial communities to mussel beds to drylands, display striking self-organized clusters. According to theoretical models, these groupings play an important role in how an ecosystem works and its ability to respond to environmental changes. A new paper in PNAS focused on the spatial patterns found in drylands offers important empirical evidence validating the models.
Drylands make up 40 percent of the Earth’s landmass and are places where water is the limiting resource for life. They often display a characteristic ...
Scientists see an ultra-fast movement on surface of HIV virus
2024-02-02
DURHAM, N.C. – As the HIV virus glides up outside a human cell to dock and possibly inject its deadly cargo of genetic code, there’s a spectacularly brief moment in which a tiny piece of its surface snaps open to begin the process of infection.
Seeing that structure snap open and shut in mere millionths of a second is giving Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI) investigators a new handle on the surface of the virus that could lead to broadly neutralizing antibodies for an AIDS vaccine. Their findings appear Feb. 2 in Science Advances.
Being able to attach an antibody specifically to ...
Gene editing precisely repairs immune cells
2024-02-02
Some hereditary genetic defects cause an exaggerated immune response that can be fatal. Using the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool, such defects can be corrected, thus normalizing the immune response, as researchers led by Klaus Rajewsky from the Max Delbrück Center now report in “Science Immunology.”
Familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL) is a rare disease of the immune system that usually occurs in infants and young children under the age of 18 months. The condition is severe and has a high mortality rate. It is caused by various gene mutations that prevent cytotoxic T cells from functioning normally. These ...
COPD: The effect of low-dose cadmium, a highly toxic metal, on airway epithelial cells
2024-02-02
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Cigarette smoke exposure is associated with the development and severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, which is the third leading cause of death worldwide.
Cigarette smoke contains 2 to 3 micrograms of cadmium, a highly toxic metal and environmental pollutant, per cigarette. Burning tobacco releases cadmium oxide that can be adsorbed onto microparticles in smoke that travel deep into the lungs. Furthermore, the body is not able to remove cadmium, which accumulates in longtime smokers.
In ...
Regulation makes crypto markets more efficient
2024-02-02
First-of-its-kind research on cryptocurrency finds that the most regulated coins create the most efficient markets.
That crypto regulation, often provided by cryptocurrency exchanges like Binance, can also help protect investors by providing reliable, public information.
“Both small and institutional investors should know, if they invest in coins without any regulation, they may suffer from price manipulation or a severe lack of insider information,” said Liangfei Qiu, a University of Florida professor of business and one of the authors of the new study.
“Instead, they may want to invest in coins listed with platforms ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
University of Pennsylvania professor to receive the 2025 Clinical Research Prize
Revolutionary scandium doping technique extends sodium-ion battery life
High-fat diet impairs memory formation by reducing autophagy
Keck Hospital of USC named a Vizient Top Performer for third year in a row
New CRISPR test could make tuberculosis screening as simple as a mouth swab
Three-sensor overeating detection could reshape obesity treatment
Study provides first evidence that plastic nanoparticles can accumulate in the edible parts of vegetables
AI predicts complications from surgery better than doctors
New personalized risk score could improve ovarian cancer detection
People on Ozempic who eat to regulate emotions less likely to lose weight
AACR Cancer Progress Report highlights lifesaving impact of federal investments in cancer research
Indra's internet
Lymph nodes found to be key to successful cancer immunotherapy
Room-temperature terahertz device opens door to 6G networks
A hard look at geoengineering reveals global risks
When smoke signals danger: How Australian lizards evolved to escape fire
Beyond the surface: Atopic eczema linked to significantly higher risk of suicidal thoughts, major study finds
After weight loss regular exercise rather than GLP-1 weight-loss drug reduces leading cause of heart attack and strokes
EASD launches its first ever clinical practice guideline – the world’s first to focus on diabetes distress
Semaglutide provides powerful protection against diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults, Greek study suggests
Orforglipron taken orally once daily leads to significant body weight loss (ATTAIN-1 Study)
U of I researchers trace genetic code’s origins to early protein structures
Disease experts team up with Florida Museum of Natural History to create a forecast for West Nile virus
Researchers: Targeted efforts needed to stem fentanyl crisis
New UMaine research could help lower prescription drug costs
Molecular movie shows how mitochondria read their DNA
Loss of key male fertility gene leads to changes in expression of hundreds of other genes
Water’s density is key to sustainable lithium mining
Pioneering research reveals problem gambling quadruples the risk of suicide among young people four years later
New method improves the accuracy of machine-learned potentials for simulating catalysts
[Press-News.org] Common food preservative has unexpected effects on the gut microbiomeAnalysis of a common preservative used to kill pathogens in food shows that it affects beneficial bacteria as well, threatening the healthy balance of the gut microbiome.