Research from the University of Utah has identified a specific gut bacterium, Turicibacter, that can reduce weight gain and improve metabolic health in mice fed a high-fat diet. The study, published in Cell Metabolism, suggests that this bacterium could be important for maintaining healthy weight and metabolism.
Turicibacter was found to have a significant effect on reducing blood sugar, lowering fat levels in the blood, and limiting weight gain in mice. Kendra Klag, PhD and MD candidate at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah and first author of the paper, explained that isolating this microbe was challenging due to its sensitivity to oxygen. After extensive research culturing individual microbes, Klag discovered Turicibacter’s impact.
June Round, PhD, professor of microbiology and immunology at U of U Health and senior author on the paper, said: "I didn't think one microbe would have such a dramatic effect-I thought it would be a mix of three or four. So when [Klag] brought me the first experiment with Turicibacter and the mice were staying really lean, I was like, 'This is so amazing.' It's pretty exciting when you see those types of results."
The researchers determined that Turicibacter produces fatty molecules absorbed by the small intestine. When these purified fats were added to a high-fat diet for mice, they produced similar benefits as introducing Turicibacter itself. The team plans further work to identify which specific fatty molecules are responsible for these effects.
The study also found that Turicibacter helps regulate ceramides—fatty molecules associated with metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease—by keeping their levels low even on a high-fat diet. However, high dietary fat can inhibit Turicibacter growth unless it is regularly supplemented.
Round noted: "We have improved weight gain in mice, but I have no idea if this is actually true in humans." The team believes other gut bacteria may also contribute to metabolic health and acknowledges that animal model results may not directly translate to people.
Looking ahead, Round stated: "Identifying what lipid is having this effect is going to be one of the most important future directions," adding that understanding how it works could lead to new treatments for maintaining healthy weight.
Klag emphasized potential future applications: "With further investigation of individual microbes, we will be able to make microbes into medicine and find bacteria that are safe to create a consortium of different bugs that people with different diseases might be lacking. Microbes are the ultimate wealth of drug discovery. We just know the very tip of the iceberg of what all these different bacterial products can do."
The research received support from several institutions including multiple branches of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as well as private foundations such as Helmsley Foundation, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, and Keck Foundation. The authors note that their findings represent their own views rather than official positions from NIH.
