Scientists Discover Bacterium Linked to Type 2 Diabetes

Chinese and US scientists have discovered a bacterium that coexists with humans and produces an isotype of the human enzyme DPP4, which disrupts glucose metabolism in mammals and leads to type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance.

Research Study Published in Science Journal

The researchers wrote about this in their study and published in the journal Science. The activity of the GLP-1 molecule, which regulates insulin levels, disrupts glucose metabolism and increases intestinal permeability.

Observation of Intestinal Bacteria Effects

This conclusion was reached by a group of biologists led by Peking University professor Jiang Changtao, who observed how the waste products of various intestinal bacteria affect the functioning of the body of mice.

In doing so, the scientists developed an automated platform that allowed them to grow various forms of human gut bacteria and monitor the effects of their enzymes on the mice’s metabolism. The experiments concluded that some human bacteria produce a large number of DPP4 enzyme molecules that are very similar in structure to the human molecule of the same name.

This protein interacts with molecules of the GLP-1 peptide, one of the key metabolic regulators that controls glucose circulation, regulates insulin production and affects cell sensitivity to this hormone.

Microbiota’s Impact on Health

Mammals have about 10 times fewer cell types than bacteria, fungi, and some microplants.

For a long time, researchers believed that its composition primarily affects metabolism, but recent observations have shown that the composition of the microbiota affects the predisposition to cancer and other diseases, as well as the behavior of humans and animals.

Source: TASS