There is an ever-increasing recognition that bile acids are not purely simple surfactant molecules that aid in lipid digestion, but are a family of molecules contributing to a diverse range of key systemic functions in the host. It is now also understood that the specific composition of the bile acid milieu within the host is related to the expression and activity of bacterially-derived enzymes within the gastrointestinal tract, as such creating a direct link between the physiology of the host and the gut microbiota. Coupled to the knowledge that perturbation of the structure and/or function of the gut microbiota may contribute to the pathogenesis of a range of diseases, there is a high level of interest in the potential for manipulation of the gut microbiota-host bile acid axis as a novel approach to therapeutics. Much of the growing understanding of the biology of this area reflects the recent development and refinement of a range of novel techniques; this study applies a number of those techniques to the analysis of human samples, aiming to illustrate their strengths, drawbacks and biological significance at all stages. Specifically, we used microbial profiling (using 16S rRNA gene sequencing), bile acid profiling (using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry), bsh and baiCD qPCR, and a BSH enzyme activity assay to demonstrate differences in the gut microbiota and bile metabolism in stool samples from healthy and antibiotic-exposed individuals.

中文翻译：

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功能微生物组学：评估肠道微生物群-胆汁酸代谢在健康和疾病中的相互作用

人们越来越认识到，胆汁酸不仅仅是有助于脂质消化的简单的表面活性剂分子，而是一个有助于宿主多种关键系统功能的分子家族。现在还了解到，宿主内胆汁酸环境的特定组成与胃肠道内细菌衍生酶的表达和活性有关，因此在宿主的生理学和肠道微生物群之间建立了直接联系. 再加上肠道微生物群结构和/或功能的扰动可能导致一系列疾病的发病机制的知识，人们对操纵肠道微生物群-宿主胆汁酸轴的潜力非常感兴趣。一种新的治疗方法。对这一领域生物学的理解在很大程度上反映了最近一系列新技术的发展和改进；本研究将其中一些技术应用于人类样本的分析，旨在说明它们在各个阶段的优势、劣势和生物学意义。具体来说，我们使用微生物分析（使用 16S rRNA 基因测序）、胆汁酸分析（使用液相色谱-质谱法）、bsh 和 baiCD qPCR 以及 BSH 酶活性测定来证明粪便样本中肠道微生物群和胆汁代谢的差异来自健康和暴露于抗生素的个体。旨在说明它们在各个阶段的优点、缺点和生物学意义。具体来说，我们使用微生物分析（使用 16S rRNA 基因测序）、胆汁酸分析（使用液相色谱-质谱法）、bsh 和 baiCD qPCR 以及 BSH 酶活性测定来证明粪便样本中肠道微生物群和胆汁代谢的差异来自健康和暴露于抗生素的个体。旨在说明它们在各个阶段的优点、缺点和生物学意义。具体来说，我们使用微生物分析（使用 16S rRNA 基因测序）、胆汁酸分析（使用液相色谱-质谱法）、bsh 和 baiCD qPCR 以及 BSH 酶活性测定来证明粪便样本中肠道微生物群和胆汁代谢的差异来自健康和暴露于抗生素的个体。