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. 2022 Jul 15;132(14):e161572. doi: 10.1172/JCI161572

Figure 1. Schematic summary of mechanisms underlying microbial modulation of GI physiology.

Figure 1

The conventional, discovery-to-translation approach of studying microbial modulation of GI transit has focused on the effect of known bacterial metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids and tryptophan metabolites (10–12); cell wall components like LPS; and bacterial functions such as transformation of primary bile acids, on the different cell types (7–9, 15, 16). In contrast, the Chen, Qiu, et al. study used a reverse translation approach, starting with patients diagnosed with IFC and identifying the microbial meditator DPA that prolonged GI transit. Similar to other metabolites, DPA likely alters GI transit by an effect on the enteric nervous system (17). SMCs, smooth muscle cells; 5-HT, serotonin; 5-HTR, serotonin receptor; CFTR, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator;