Bacteria regulate transition metal levels through complex mechanisms to ensure survival and adaptability, influencing both their physiology and the development of antimicrobial strategies.
Metal Homeostasis
Researched by:
-
Karen Pendergrass
ID
Karen Pendergrass
Read MoreKaren Pendergrass is a microbiome researcher specializing in microbiome-targeted interventions (MBTIs). She systematically analyzes scientific literature to identify microbial patterns, develop hypotheses, and validate interventions. As the founder of the Microbiome Signatures Database, she bridges microbiome research with clinical practice. In 2012, based on her own investigative research, she became the first documented case of FMT for Celiac Disease—four years before the first published case study.
Fact-checked by:
-
Kimberly Eyer
ID
Kimberly Eyer
Read MoreKimberly Eyer, a Registered Nurse with 30 years of nursing experience across diverse settings, including Home Health, ICU, Operating Room Nursing, and Research. Her roles have encompassed Operating Room Nurse, RN First Assistant, and Acting Director of a Same Day Surgery Center. Her specialty areas include Adult Cardiac Surgery, Congenital Cardiac Surgery, Vascular Surgery, and Neurosurgery.
Transition metals like iron, zinc, copper, and manganese are crucial for the enzymatic machinery of organisms, but their imbalance can foster pathogenic environments within the gastrointestinal tract.
Research feed -
Karen Pendergrass
Read More
Researched by:
-
Karen Pendergrass
ID
Karen Pendergrass
Read More
Fact-checked by:
-
Kimberly Eyer
ID
Kimberly Eyer
Read More
Microbiome Signatures identifies and validates condition-specific microbiome shifts and interventions to accelerate clinical translation. Our multidisciplinary team supports clinicians, researchers, and innovators in turning microbiome science into actionable medicine.
Karen Pendergrass
Overview 
Research Feed Overview
Heavy metals, both essential and non-essential, play a significant role in microbial physiology and influence the gut microbiome, impacting both microbial composition and host health. [x] Transition metals like iron, zinc, copper, nickel, and manganese are crucial for the enzymatic machinery of organisms, but their imbalance can foster pathogenic environments within the gastrointestinal tract. [x] This review examines how heavy metals impact the gut microbiome, explores the mechanisms of bacterial metal homeostasis, and discusses the implications for human health.
Metal Homeostasis and Microbial Physiology
Bacteria maintain metal homeostasis to cope with fluctuating metal levels. They acquire, balance, and regulate transition metals, ensuring proper cofactoring of metal-dependent enzymes. Regulatory mechanisms allow bacteria to sense metal concentrations and adjust gene expression, vital for survival under varying metal conditions. Efficient metal homeostasis enhances microbial virulence, enabling pathogens to outcompete host mechanisms like nutritional immunity.
Impact of Heavy Metals on the Gut Microbiome
Heavy metals, both essential and non-essential, reshape the gastrointestinal microbiome through diverse mechanisms. Excessive essential metals disrupt microbial balance, favoring pathogenic bacteria over commensals, while non-essential metals like arsenic and lead, even at lower levels, profoundly impact microbial diversity and function. [x] Additionally, heavy metal exposure, such as arsenic, prompts adaptive responses in the microbiome, selecting for metal-resistant bacteria, thus altering the gut’s microbial composition and health dynamics.
What heavy metals are utilized by pathogenic microbes?
| Heavy Metal | Utilization by Pathogenic Microbe |
|---|---|
| Iron | Salmonella enterica uses siderophores to scavenge iron from the host, enhancing its virulence. |
| Zinc | Staphylococcus aureus uses zinc uptake regulator (Zur) to manage its zinc needs, contributing to its survival in the host. |
| Copper | Mycobacterium tuberculosis resists copper toxicity through copper efflux systems, aiding in its persistence. |
| Mercury | Clostridium difficile may utilize mercury resistance genes to survive in mercury-rich environments. |
| Nickel | Helicobacter pylori utilizes nickel-dependent enzymes like hydrogenase and urease for energy production and to neutralize gastric acid, enhancing its survival in the stomach. Salmonella Typhimurium relies on nickel for the function of its hydrogenases, crucial for survival within macrophages. |
What health conditions are associated with metal homeostasis disruptions?
| Health Condition | Associated Metal Homeostasis Disruption |
|---|---|
| Multiple Sclerosis | Linked with disturbances in zinc and copper homeostasis, influencing disease progression. |
| Endometriosis | Associated with disruptions in iron and nickel homeostasis, potentially driving disease pathology through oxidative stress. |
| Neurodegenerative Diseases | Imbalances in copper, iron, and zinc are implicated in diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. |
| Cardiovascular Diseases | Dysregulation of copper and iron metabolism can contribute to cardiovascular pathologies such as atherosclerosis. |
Therapeutic Implications
Understanding the intricacies of metal homeostasis in microbes offers valuable insights for developing novel therapeutic strategies. Targeting metal uptake systems or efflux mechanisms presents opportunities to combat infections by disrupting crucial microbial processes. Such strategies highlight the potential of leveraging metal homeostasis for therapeutic gains. In conclusion, the dynamic interplay between heavy metals and the gut microbiome significantly affects human health. By advancing our understanding of microbial metal acquisition and the impacts of metal exposure, we can better manage diseases associated with dysbiosis and develop targeted treatments that modify the gut microbiome.
Research Feed
Copper in microbial pathogenesis: meddling with the metal
Alias iure reprehenderit aut accusantium. Molestiae dolore suscipit. Necessitatibus eum quaerat. Repudiandae suscipit quo necessitatibus. Voluptatibus ullam nulla temporibus nobis. Atque eaque sed totam est assumenda. Porro modi soluta consequuntur veritatis excepturi minus delectus reprehenderit est. Eveniet labore ut quas minima aliquid quibusdam. Vitae possimus fuga praesentium eveniet debitis exercitationem deleniti.
Create a free account to unlock this study summary.
Microbiome Insiders can read two study summaries for any topic on Microbiome.
Influence of heavy metal exposure on gut microbiota: Recent advances
Alias iure reprehenderit aut accusantium. Molestiae dolore suscipit. Necessitatibus eum quaerat. Repudiandae suscipit quo necessitatibus. Voluptatibus ullam nulla temporibus nobis. Atque eaque sed totam est assumenda. Porro modi soluta consequuntur veritatis excepturi minus delectus reprehenderit est. Eveniet labore ut quas minima aliquid quibusdam. Vitae possimus fuga praesentium eveniet debitis exercitationem deleniti.
Create a free account to unlock this study summary.
Microbiome Insiders can read two study summaries for any topic on Microbiome.
Urinary lead concentration and composition of the adult gut microbiota in a cross-sectional population-based sample
Alias iure reprehenderit aut accusantium. Molestiae dolore suscipit. Necessitatibus eum quaerat. Repudiandae suscipit quo necessitatibus. Voluptatibus ullam nulla temporibus nobis. Atque eaque sed totam est assumenda. Porro modi soluta consequuntur veritatis excepturi minus delectus reprehenderit est. Eveniet labore ut quas minima aliquid quibusdam. Vitae possimus fuga praesentium eveniet debitis exercitationem deleniti.
Create a free account to unlock this study summary.
Microbiome Insiders can read two study summaries for any topic on Microbiome.
Nickel
Bacteria regulate transition metal levels through complex mechanisms to ensure survival and adaptability, influencing both their physiology and the development of antimicrobial strategies.