Taming the Sentinels: Microbiome-Derived Metabolites and Polarization of T Cells

Abstract

A global increase in the prevalence of metabolic syndromes and digestive tract disorders, like food allergy or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), has become a severe problem in the modern world. Recent decades have brought a growing body of evidence that links the gut microbiome’s complexity with host physiology. Hence, understanding the mechanistic aspects underlying the synergy between the host and its associated gut microbiome are among the most crucial questions. The functionally diversified adaptive immune system plays a central role in maintaining gut and systemic immune homeostasis. The character of the reciprocal interactions between immune components and host-dwelling microbes or microbial consortia determines the outcome of the organisms’ coexistence within the holobiont structure. It has become apparent that metabolic by-products of the microbiome constitute crucial multimodal transmitters within the host–microbiome interactome and, as such, contribute to immune homeostasis by fine-tuning of the adaptive arm of immune system. In this review, we will present recent insights and discoveries regarding the broad landscape of microbiome-derived metabolites, highlighting the role of these small compounds in the context of the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory mechanisms orchestrated by the host T cell compartment.

Keywords

• microbiome
• metabolites
• metabolome
• T cells
• T regulatory cells
• Th17 helper cells