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REVIEW article

Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Infectious Agents and Disease
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1417864
This article is part of the Research Topic Acute/chronic pathogen infections. Roles of resident, probiotic, or live biotherapeutic microbes in limiting or preventing disease View all 21 articles

The Microbiota: A Crucial Mediator in Gut Homeostasis and Colonization Resistance

Provisionally accepted
Yiding Chen Yiding Chen 1Ling Xiao Ling Xiao 1Min Zhou Min Zhou 1Hu Zhang Hu Zhang 1,2,3*
  • 1 West China Tianfu Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
  • 2 West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
  • 3 Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The gut microbiota is a complex and diverse community of microorganisms that colonizes the human gastrointestinal tract and influences various aspects of human health. These microbes are closely related to enteric infections. As a foreign entity for the host, commensal microbiota is restricted and regulated by the barrier and immune system in the gut and contributes to gut homeostasis. Commensals also effectively resist the colonization of pathogens and the overgrowth of indigenous pathobionts by utilizing a variety of mechanisms, while pathogens have developed strategies to subvert colonization resistance. Dysbiosis of the microbial community can lead to enteric infections. The microbiota acts as a pivotal mediator in establishing a harmonious mutualistic symbiosis with the host and shielding the host against pathogens. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms underlying hostmicrobiome and microbiome-pathogen interactions, highlighting the multi-faceted roles of the gut microbiota in preventing enteric infections. We also discuss the applications of manipulating the microbiota to treat infectious diseases in the gut.

    Keywords: microbiota, Gut homeostasis, enteric infections, mucosal immunity, colonization resistance

    Received: 15 Apr 2024; Accepted: 23 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Chen, Xiao, Zhou and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Hu Zhang, West China Tianfu Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.