Dietary modulation of the gut microbiome - Probing the role of small RNAs

Authors: YANG, JIAN - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC); HIRSCHI, KENDAL - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC); VIVEKANUDEEP, KARRI - Rice University; SPINLER, JENNIFER - Baylor College Of Medicine

Submitted to: Reference Module in Food Science
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/6/2020
Publication Date: 4/6/2020
Citation: Yang, J., Hirschi, K.D., Vivekanudeep, K., Spinler, J.K. 2020. Dietary modulation of the gut microbiome - Probing the role of small RNAs. Reference Module in Life Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-100596-5.22722-4.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-100596-5.22722-4

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Evolution of the interdependent and mutualistic relationship between humans and their intestinal microbiota has been driven by diet. Studies have consistently associated health with a microbial composition and richness that results from plant-based diets. This work reviews the relationship between the microbiome and human health and then examines the role of diet in shaping the microbiome. Small RNAs (sRNAs) including microRNAs (miRNAs) are noncoding RNA (ncRNA) molecules involved in gene regulation. These sRNAs are known to play important roles in human development; however, their significance as dietary components that shape the microbiome is still emerging. While divisive, some groups have shown that dietary sRNAs from plants and animals can impact the microbiome. In the future, regulating gut sRNA profiles either directly through dietary delivery or by altering the expression of endogenous sRNAs may be part of therapeutic interventions for regulating the microbiome and consumer health.