Microbiota Diurnal Rhythmicity Programs Host Transcriptome Oscillations.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Preclinical laboratory study using multi-omics and imaging models without human clinical data.
PubMed 27912059 · doi:10.1016/j.cell.2016.11.003
What was done
Integrated multi-omics and imaging approaches were used to investigate diurnal compositional, metabolomic, and biogeographical localization patterns of the gut microbiota. Researchers examined how these rhythmic microbial dynamics influence host circadian chromatin, transcriptional, and metabolite oscillations in the intestine and liver, as well as the downstream consequences of disrupting normal microbiome rhythmicity.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical values or effect sizes. It reports that the gut microbiota displays daily oscillations in biogeographical localization and metabolite production, which rhythmically expose the intestinal epithelium to bacterial species and metabolites. This microbial behavior drives host circadian epigenetic, transcriptional, and metabolic programming. Disruption of homeostatic microbiome rhythms abrogated normal chromatin and transcriptional oscillations while inducing de novo genome-wide oscillations in the intestine and liver, altering diurnal host physiology.
Why it matters
It establishes a mechanistic bridge between the gut microbiome and host circadian rhythmicity, demonstrating that microbial diurnal dynamics globally regulate host epigenetic and transcriptional programs.
Limits
The study is entirely preclinical with no human clinical evaluation. The abstract does not report specific sample sizes, animal strains, statistical metrics, effect sizes, or specific disease phenotypes tested.
Cited by
- supports Disrupting circadian microbial rhythmicity via altered feeding patterns or jet lag promotes host susceptibility to obesity and type 2 diabetes.
- supports Time-restricted feeding can completely restore normal microbiome circadian rhythmicity and downstream host metabolic and immune function in jet-lagged or clock-deficient mice.