Athanasia Ioannou, Maryse D. Berkhout, Sharon Y. Geerlings, Clara Belzer
{"title":"Akkermansia muciniphila: biology, microbial ecology, host interactions and therapeutic potential","authors":"Athanasia Ioannou, Maryse D. Berkhout, Sharon Y. Geerlings, Clara Belzer","doi":"10.1038/s41579-024-01106-1","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><i>Akkermansia muciniphila</i> is a gut bacterium that colonizes the gut mucosa, has a role in maintaining gut health and shows promise for potential therapeutic applications. The discovery of <i>A. muciniphila</i> as an important member of our gut microbiome, occupying an extraordinary niche in the human gut, has led to new hypotheses on gut health, beneficial microorganisms and host–microbiota interactions. This microorganism has established a unique position in human microbiome research, similar to its role in the gut ecosystem. Its unique traits in using mucin sugars and mechanisms of action that can modify host health have made <i>A. muciniphila</i> a subject of enormous attention from multiple research fields. <i>A. muciniphila</i> is becoming a model organism studied for its ability to modulate human health and gut microbiome structure, leading to commercial products, a genetic model and possible probiotic formulations. This Review provides an overview of <i>A. muciniphila</i> and <i>Akkermansia</i> genus phylogeny, ecophysiology and diversity. Furthermore, the Review discusses perspectives on ecology, strategies for harnessing beneficial effects of <i>A. muciniphila</i> for human mucosal metabolic and gut health, and its potential as a biomarker for diagnostics and prognostics.</p>","PeriodicalId":18838,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Microbiology","volume":"68 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":69.2000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Nature Reviews Microbiology","FirstCategoryId":"99","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-024-01106-1","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"MICROBIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Akkermansia muciniphila is a gut bacterium that colonizes the gut mucosa, has a role in maintaining gut health and shows promise for potential therapeutic applications. The discovery of A. muciniphila as an important member of our gut microbiome, occupying an extraordinary niche in the human gut, has led to new hypotheses on gut health, beneficial microorganisms and host–microbiota interactions. This microorganism has established a unique position in human microbiome research, similar to its role in the gut ecosystem. Its unique traits in using mucin sugars and mechanisms of action that can modify host health have made A. muciniphila a subject of enormous attention from multiple research fields. A. muciniphila is becoming a model organism studied for its ability to modulate human health and gut microbiome structure, leading to commercial products, a genetic model and possible probiotic formulations. This Review provides an overview of A. muciniphila and Akkermansia genus phylogeny, ecophysiology and diversity. Furthermore, the Review discusses perspectives on ecology, strategies for harnessing beneficial effects of A. muciniphila for human mucosal metabolic and gut health, and its potential as a biomarker for diagnostics and prognostics.
期刊介绍:
At Nature Reviews Microbiology, our goal is to become the leading source of reviews and commentaries for the scientific community we cater to. We are dedicated to publishing articles that are not only authoritative but also easily accessible, supplementing them with clear and concise figures, tables, and other visual aids. Our objective is to offer an unparalleled service to authors, referees, and readers, and we continuously strive to maximize the usefulness and impact of each article we publish. With a focus on Reviews, Perspectives, and Comments spanning the entire field of microbiology, our wide scope ensures that the work we feature reaches the widest possible audience.