PLoS Genet: mechanism of fermented milk beneficial to human health

May 29, 2019 / BIOON / - researchers found that there is a receptor on human and ape cells that can detect common bacterial metabolites in fermented food and trigger the movement of immune cells Claudia staubert of the University of Leipzig and his colleagues reported the latest findings in a new study published recently in PLoS Genetics Photo source: PLoS gene lactobacillus, a bacterium that turns milk into yogurt and cabbage into kimchi, can provide many health benefits, but scientists still don't understand why, at the molecular level, it's beneficial to eat these bacteria and how they affect our immune system Now staubert and her colleagues have found a way for Lactobacillus to interact with our bodies Initially, researchers were studying a protein on the cell surface called the hydroxycarboxylic acid (HCA) receptor Most animals have only two of these receptors, but humans and apes have three The researchers found that d-phenyllactate, a metabolite produced by Lactobacillus, binds closely to a third HCA receptor, signaling their presence to the immune system The researchers suggest that a third type of HCA receptor appears in the common ancestor of humans and apes, enabling them to eat food that begins to rot, such as fruit picked up from the ground This study provides new insights into the evolutionary dynamics between microorganisms and human hosts, and opens up a new research direction for understanding the multiple positive effects of edible fermented food "We are convinced that this receptor is likely to mediate some beneficial and anti-inflammatory effects of Lactobacillus on humans," said Claudia staubert, author That's why we believe it can be a potential drug target for the treatment of inflammatory diseases "Future research may reveal details of how d-phenyllactate affects the immune system and whether metabolites also affect fat cells, which also carry a third HCA receptor on their surface Reference: Peters a, et al (2019) metals of lactic acid bacteria present in referred foods are highly potent agonists of human hydrologic acid receiver 3 PLoS gene 15 (5): e1008145 Doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1008145