Intestinal Microbiology (IMB)
Profile of the Research Group
The human intestinal tract is populated by more than 100 trillion microorganisms. This microbial community (intestinal microbiota) affects important host functions including gastrointestinal metabolism, epithelial cell growth, and colonization resistance against pathogens. However, intestinal bacteria have also been implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases, colorectal cancer and other non-communicable disorders. We aim to elucidate the effect of diet on the development, composition, and metabolic activity of the intestinal microbiota to define the role of intestinal bacteria in the development and prevention of diseases. In this context, we study the microbial metabolism of dietary polyphenols, sulfonates and fiber by intestinal bacteria and investigate how intestinal bacteria contribute in particular to inflammatory bowel diseases and colorectal cancer.
Team

Dr. Annett Braune
Head of the Research Group IMBphone +49 33 200 88 - 2402
e-mail: braune@dife.de

Team IMB
Secretary: Sandra Müller-Abtphone: +49 33 200 88-2398
e-mail: office.imb@dife.de
Significant Participations
Diarrhea, fiber and colon cancer: Environmental contributions to low colon cancer risk in sub-Saharan Africa
Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
This study proposes a novel mechanism for colorectal cancer (CRC) prevention. The team will examine a population with low risk for colon cancer, individuals in sub-Saharan Africa, with special attention to the role of dietary fiber consumption and pathogenic intestinal bacteria. Insights could have implication for targeted prevention of CRC in high-risk groups.
Analysis of fecal biomarkers of microbial protein degradation following nutritional intervention for healthy aging
Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
The NutriAct intervention study is a randomized controlled clinical trial involving elderly participants with age-related impairments. The NutriAct dietary pattern of the intervention group, which includes the increased intake of plant protein, is assumed to improve metabolic, cardiovascular, cognitive and other age-related endpoints.
Diet affects the human intestinal microbiota on both the community and the cellular level, which in turn may affect host functions. Dietary changes may rapidly lead to a modified pattern of bacterial fermentation products and changes in gut microbial composition. In the NutriAct intervention study, we are investigating how the nutritional intervention impacts on fecal biomarkers that indicate bacterial protein degradation in the large intestine, such as short branched-chain fatty acids, phenols and ammonium. Based on observed diet-dependent differences in those biomarkers, we will analyze underlying changes in the composition of gut bacteria. These studies aim to clarify, whether the increased protein uptake leads to detrimental health effects mediated by the intestinal microbiota.
Publications
Cuadrat, R. R. C., Goris, T., Birukov, A., Eichelmann, F., Andrade, B. G. N., Bang, C., Franke, A., Wittenbecher, C., Schulze, M. B.: Association of the human gut microbiota with vascular stiffness. Sci. Rep. 13(1):13348 (2023). [Open Access]
Kuhls, S., Osswald, A., Ocvirk, S.: Bile acids, bile pigments and colorectal cancer risk. Curr. Opin. Gastroenterol. 38(2), 173-178 (2022).
Andrade, B. G. N., Goris, T., Afli, H., Coutinho, F. H., Dávila, A. M. R., Cuadrat, R. R. C.: Putative mobilized colistin resistance genes in the human gut microbiome. BMC Microbiol. 21(1):220 (2021). [Open Access]
Burkhardt, W., Rausch, T., Klopfleisch, R., Blaut, M., Braune, A.: Impact of dietary sulfolipid-derived sulfoquinovose on gut microbiota composition and inflammatory status of colitis-prone interleukin-10-deficient mice. Int. J. Med. Microbiol. 311(3):151494 (2021). [Open Access]
Goris, T., Cuadrat, R. R. C., Braune, A.: Flavonoid-Modifying Capabilities of the Human Gut Microbiome—An In Silico Study. Nutrients 13(8):2688 (2021). [Open Access]
Kruse, S., Türkowsky, D., Birkigt, J., Matturro, B., Franke, S., Jehmlich, N., von Bergen, M., Westermann, M., Rossetti, S., Nijenhuis, I., Adrian, L., Diekert, G., Goris, T.: Interspecies metabolite transfer and aggregate formation in a co-culture of Dehalococcoides and Sulfurospirillum dehalogenating tetrachloroethene to ethene. ISME J. 15, 1794–1809 (2021). [Open Access]
Weitkunat, K., Bishop, C. A., Wittmüss, M., Machate, T., Schifelbein, T., Schulze, M. B., Klaus, S.: Effect of Microbial Status on Hepatic Odd-Chain Fatty Acids Is Diet-Dependent. Nutrients 13(5):1546 (2021). [Open Access]
Braune, A., Gütschow, M., Blaut, M.: An NADH-Dependent Reductase from Eubacterium ramulus Catalyzes the Stereospecific Heteroring Cleavage of Flavanones and Flavanonols. Appl. Environ.Microbiol. 85(19): e01233-19 (2019).
Dang, V. D., Mohr, E., Szelinski, F., Le, T. A., Ritter, J., Hinnenthal, T., Stefanski, A. L., Schrezenmeier, E., Ocvirk, S., Hipfl, C., Hardt, S., Cheng, Q., Hiepe, F., Löhning, M., Dörner, T., Lino, A. C.: CD39 and CD326 Are Bona Fide Markers of Murine and Human Plasma Cells and Identify a Bone Marrow Specific Plasma Cell Subpopulation in Lupus. Front. Immunol. 13:873217 (2022). [Open Access]
Lemke, C., Jílková, A., Ferber, D., Braune, A., On, A., Johe, P., Zíková, A., Schirmeister, T., Mareš, M., Horn, M., Gütschow, M.: Two Tags in One Probe: Combining Fluorescence- and Biotin-based Detection of the Trypanosomal Cysteine Protease Rhodesain. Chemistry 28(62):e202201636 (2022). [Open Access]
Lo, H. Y., Martínez-Lavanchy, P., Goris, T., Heider, J., Boll, M., Kaster, A. K., Müller, J. A.: IncP-type plasmids carrying genes for antibiotic resistance or for aromatic compound degradation are prevalent in sequenced Aromatoleum and Thauera strains. Environ. Microbiol. 24(12), 6411-6425 (2022). [Open Access]
Cialla-May, D., Gadkari, J., Winterfeld, A., Hubner, U., Weber, K., Diekert, G., Schubert, T., Goris, T., Popp, J.: Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy-based evaluation of the membrane protein composition of the organohalide-respiring Sulfurospirillum multivorans. J. Raman Spectrosc. 52(2), 458-467 (2021). [Open Access]
Ocvirk, S., O’Keefe, S. J. D.: Dietary fat, bile acid metabolism and colorectal cancer. Semin. Cancer Biol. 73, 347-355 (2021).
Trefflich, I., Dietrich, S., Braune, A., Abraham, K., Weikert, C.: Short- and Branched-Chain Fatty Acids as Fecal Markers for Microbiota Activity in Vegans and Omnivores. Nutrients 13(6):1808 (2021). [Open Access]
Cuadrat, R. R. C., Sorokina, M., Andrade, B. G., Goris, T., Davila, A. M. R.: Global ocean resistome revealed: Exploring antibiotic resistance gene abundance and distribution in TARA Oceans samples. Gigascience 9(5):giaa046 (2020). [Open Access]
Esken, J., Goris, T., Gadkari, J., Bischler, T., Forstner, K. U., Sharma, C. M., Diekert, G., Schubert, T.: Tetrachloroethene respiration in Sulfurospirillum species is regulated by a two-component system as unraveled by comparative genomics, transcriptomics, and regulator binding studies. MicrobiologyOpen 9(12):e1138 (2020). [Open Access]
Haange, S. B., Groeger, N., Froment, J., Rausch, T., Burkhardt, W., Gonnermann, S., Braune, A., Blaut, M., von Bergen, M., Rolle-Kampczyk, U.: Multiplexed Quantitative Assessment of the Fate of Taurine and Sulfoquinovose in the Intestinal Microbiome. Metabolites 10(11):E430 (2020).
Ocvirk, S., Wilson, A. S., Posma, J. M., Li, J. V., Koller, K. R., Day, G. M., Flanagan, C. A., Otto, J. E., Sacco, P. E., Sacco, F. D., Sapp, F. R., Wilson, A. S., Newton, K., Brouard, F., DeLany, J. P., Behnning, M., Appolonia, C. N., Soni, D., Bhatti, F., Methe, B., Fitch, A., Morris, A., Gaskins, H. R., Kinross, J., Nicholson, J. K., Thomas, T. K., O’Keefe, S. J. D.: A prospective cohort analysis of gut microbial co-metabolism in Alaska Native and rural African people at high and low risk of colorectal cancer. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 111(2), 406–419 (2020).
Peng, P., Goris, T., Lu, Y., Nijsse, B., Burrichter, A., Schleheck, D., Koehorst, J. J., Liu, J., Sipkema, D., Sinninghe Damste, J. S., Stams, A. J. M., Haggblom, M. M., Smidt, H., Atashgahi, S.: Organohalide-respiring Desulfoluna species isolated from marine environments. ISME J. 14(3), 815–827 (2020). [Open Access]
Goris, T., Pérez-Valero, Á., Martínez, I., Yi, D., Fernández-Calleja, L., San León, D., Bornscheuer, U. T., Magadán-Corpas, P., Lombó, F., Nogales, J.: Repositioning microbial biotechnology against COVID-19: the case of microbial production of flavonoids. Microb. Biotechnol. 14(1), 94-110 (2021). [Open Access]
Wilson, A. S., Koller, K. R., Ramaboli, M. C., Nesengani, L. T., Ocvirk, S., Chen, C., Flanagan, C. A., Sapp, F. R., Merritt, Z. T., Bhatti, F., Thomas, T. K., O’Keefe, S. J. D.: Diet and the Human Gut Microbiome: An International Review. Dig. Dis. Sci. 65(3), 723-740 (2020). [Open Access]