The Gut Commensal Escherichia coli Aggravates High-Fat-Diet-Induced Obesity and Insulin Resistance in Mice
Tingting Ju, Benjamin C. T. Bourrie, Andrew J. Forgie, Deanna M. Pepin, Stephanie Tollenaar, Consolato Sergi, Benjamin P. Willing
Abstract
Although identifying specific microbial taxa associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes remains difficult, certain bacteria may play an important role in initiating metabolic inflammation during disease development. Here, we used a mouse model distinguishable by the presence or absence of a commensal Escherichia coli strain in combination with a high-fat diet challenge to investigate the impact of E. coli on host metabolic outcomes. This is the first study to show that the addition of a single bacterial species to an animal already colonized with a complex microbial community can increase severity of metabolic outcomes. This study is of interest to a wide group of researchers because it provides compelling evidence to target the gut microbiota for therapeutic purposes by which personalized medicines can be made for treating metabolic inflammation. The study also provides an explanation for variability in studies investigating host metabolic outcomes and immune response to diet interventions.