Mechanisms underlying the effects of the gut microbiota on host liver lipid metabolism

哺乳动物的肠道中有一个巨大的微生物群落，被称为肠道微生物区系。根据文献结果和我们的初步数据，很明显，肝脏的脂肪合成和代谢受到肠道微生物区系的影响。肠道微生物区系如何影响这些过程目前仍不清楚，饮食及其组成如何影响宿主的变化也不清楚。但是，需要更好地了解宿主脂肪代谢和微生物区系的双边关系，以填补人类系统生理学方面的空白，并制定任何治疗策略，以对抗相关的代谢性疾病和改善健康。因此，本项目的主要目标是深入研究肠道微生物区系对肝脏脂肪合成的调节作用。这包括饮食的影响和揭示参与调节的分子机制。

The mammalian gut harbours a huge microbial community designated as gut microbiota. Based on literature findings and our preliminary data it is obvious that hepatic lipid synthesis and metabolism is influenced by gut microbiota. How the gut microbiota affects these processes remains currently unexplained and how the diet and its composition contributes to changes in the host is also not known. But, a better understanding of the bilateral relationship of host lipid metabolism and microbiota is needed for filling the gaps in human systems physiology and for any therapeutic strategies to combat related metabolic diseases and improve health. Therefore, the major objective of this project is to characterize the regulation of hepatic lipid synthesis by gut microbiota in depth. This includes the influence of the diet and to unveil molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation.