Researchers Uncover How Light-Influenced Genes Might Affect Gut Health

Joel A. Bartsch has served as CEO and president of the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) since2004. While overseeing the HMNS, Joel Bartsch has also been working toward finishing his doctorate at Rice University in Houston, Texas.

A research team, including a Rice University synthetic biologist, has discovered that light-controlled genes could impact gut health through bacteria metabolite called colonic acid (CA). In a study published in eLife, researchers used bacteria in the gut of worms to turn bacteria genes on and off using various colors of light. The study revealed that bacteria genes exposed to longer light translated into longer life for worms.

Concerning humans, this discovery begins with the gut bacteria C. elegans, the mitochondrial processes, energy, and the process of aerobic cellular respiration (how food is turned into energy). Typically described as the powerhouse of the cell, the mitochondria generate energy (ATP). In the thousands, these mitochondria regulate the balance between fusion and fission.

As people age, the ability of the mitochondria to regulate this balance declines in the cells. In earlier studies, CA was proven to regulate the balance between mitochondrial fission and fusion in intestinal and muscle cells to extend longevity.

The study ultimately found that CA does positively affect intestinal cells in the short-term, but they could not, without a doubt, determine whether there was a positive effect for the worms’ muscle cells. These findings revealed that CA's longevity effects begin in the gut and then spread throughout the other tissues in the body.

The research study has larger implications for gut bacteria and its connection to health or disease. While many believe health begins in the gut, scientists would have to control the metabolite (CA) to show cause and effect. Furthermore, because of the complexity of the human intestinal tract, scientists have to turn on genes at specific places to determine what to eat to improve gut bacteria for better health outcomes and treat disease.