Taurine may fuel body’s natural defenses against known bacterial pathogens
18 Jan 2021 --- Taurine may help the body recall and fight bacterial infections it was previously exposed to, according to a new study published in Cell.
Taurine is a nutrient that helps the body digest fats and oils and is found naturally in the gut’s bile acids.
Researchers point to taurine’s role in triggering the growth of good bacteria through its byproduct hydrogen sulfide as the main mechanism of its protective potential.
Notably, “supplying exogenous taurine alone is sufficient to induce this alteration in microbiota function and enhance resistance,” write scientists from five institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the US who led the study.
These findings could help in developing more alternatives to antibiotics, which are in high demand, to avoid disturbing the complex microbiome.
Recalling an infection
In the study, researchers observed that microbiota that had experienced prior infection and transferred to germ-free mice helped prevent infection with Klebsiella pneumoniae.
The research also identified taurine as the trigger for Deltaproteobacteria, a class of bacteria involved in fighting the pathogenic bacteria K. pneumoniae.
The research identified taurine as the trigger for Deltaproteobacteria, a class of bacteria involved in fighting the pathogenic bacteria K. pneumoniae.Researchers realized that a single mild infection is sufficient to prepare the microbiota to resist subsequent infection, and that the liver and gallbladder – which synthesize and store bile acids containing taurine – can develop long-term infection protection.
Examining effects in mice
The scientists identified taurine’s byproduct, hydrogen sulfide, as a key element in inhibiting pathogenic cellular respiration.
Researchers believe that low levels of taurine allow pathogens to colonize the gut, but high levels produce enough hydrogen sulfide to prevent colonization.
The study found that taurine given to mice as a supplement in drinking water prepared the microbiota to prevent infection.
However, when mice drank water containing bismuth subsalicylate – a common over-the-counter drug used to treat diarrhea and upset stomach – infection protection waned because bismuth inhibits hydrogen sulfide production.
Scientists from NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases led the project in collaboration with researchers from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and the National Human Genome Research Institute.
Mechanism of the microbiome
Research is expanding into the specific mechanisms of how the microbiome modulates the body’s defenses.
Last week, UK researchers identified a link between the bacteria Veillonella and Gemella, abundant in the gut of breastfed babies, with regulatory T cells that impact immunity.
The gut-immunity axis was also highlighted earlier this month with a study revealing a link between long-lasting COVID-19 symptoms and the gut microbiome.
By Missy Green
