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Homeostasis and dysbiosis of the gut microbiome in health and disease

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Abstract

The human gastrointestinal tract (GIT) harbors taxonomically and functionally complex microbial ecosystem. The composition of the microbial species in the GIT ecosystem varies among individuals and throughout development. Both environmental factors as well as host genetics influence the composition and homeostasis of GIT microbiome. Intrinsic GIT microbiome can be characterized in terms of diversity, richness, dynamics and resilience. In healthy individual, microbial communities maintain homeostatic equilibrium and are resistant against perturbations. The resilience and resistance to perturbations of the GIT microbial ecosystem are robust but not absolute. Several factors can affect the homeostatic equilibrium of GIT microbiome and lead to dysbiotic microbiome configuration. Taxonomic and/or functional dysbiosis in the GIT microbiome is associated with numerous health disorders like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), malnutrition, metabolic disorders, asthma and neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we discuss our current understanding of homeostasis and dysbiosis of the microbial ecology in the human gut and health disorders that are associated with the microbiome dysbiosis.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by grants made available from the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad. The authors acknowledge T. Ramamurthy for critical readings of the manuscript.

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  1. Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Centre for Human Microbial Ecology, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, 121 001, India

    Bhabatosh Das

  2. Microbiome Laboratory, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, 695 014, India

    G Balakrish Nair

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Correspondence to Bhabatosh Das or G Balakrish Nair.

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Das, B., Nair, G.B. Homeostasis and dysbiosis of the gut microbiome in health and disease. J Biosci 44, 117 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12038-019-9926-y

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