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Butyrate:A Simple Gut Microbiota Metabolite in the Modulation of Epigenetic Mechanism


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1 Division of Biochemistry, ICARNational Dairy Research Institute, Karnal 132 001, India
 

Butyric acid is a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) produced after bacterial fermentation of fibre in the gut. It is naturally found in dairy milk and milk products such as butter, cheese, etc. Butter which consists of 3–4% butyric acid in the form of tributyrin (butyryl triglyceride), can be considered as a good dietary source of butyric acid. This fermented product besides being an energy source for intestinal epithelial cells can control different cellular processes in the body through epigenetic modification. Epigenetics involves modification of chromatin to regulate gene expression without altering the nucleotide sequence. It includes DNA methylation, histone proteins modification and chromatin remodelling which are associated with physiological and pathological processes. Butyrate is a well-known epigenetic nutrient as a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, which acts as an anti-proliferative and differentiation agent by modulating the expression of cyclin D1 and p21Waf1/Cip1 in normal mammary epithelial cells1. This anti-proliferative effect of butyrate makes it a chemo-preventive agent for the treatment of cancers. This SCFA is essential to maintain the normal intestinal health by bridging the communication between the gut and peripheral tissues. It can regulate the immune system of intestinal epithelial cells by regulating the modulating activity of different enzymes and transcriptional factors in the intestinal epithelial cells2,3. A butyrate analogue such as sodium butyrate induces the expression of antimicrobial peptide genes (TAP and β -defensin) to maintain the innate immunity of mammary epithelial cells4. Butyric acid analogues also have the property of inducing reprogramming of somatic cells to produce iPSCs which are mediated by c-myc5. Briefly, it indicates that butyrate is a potential therapeutic agent with clinical implications in human and veterinary medicine.
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  • Butyrate:A Simple Gut Microbiota Metabolite in the Modulation of Epigenetic Mechanism

Abstract Views: 299  |  PDF Views: 94

Authors

Chandra Shekar
Division of Biochemistry, ICARNational Dairy Research Institute, Karnal 132 001, India
Gautam Kaul
Division of Biochemistry, ICARNational Dairy Research Institute, Karnal 132 001, India

Abstract


Butyric acid is a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) produced after bacterial fermentation of fibre in the gut. It is naturally found in dairy milk and milk products such as butter, cheese, etc. Butter which consists of 3–4% butyric acid in the form of tributyrin (butyryl triglyceride), can be considered as a good dietary source of butyric acid. This fermented product besides being an energy source for intestinal epithelial cells can control different cellular processes in the body through epigenetic modification. Epigenetics involves modification of chromatin to regulate gene expression without altering the nucleotide sequence. It includes DNA methylation, histone proteins modification and chromatin remodelling which are associated with physiological and pathological processes. Butyrate is a well-known epigenetic nutrient as a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, which acts as an anti-proliferative and differentiation agent by modulating the expression of cyclin D1 and p21Waf1/Cip1 in normal mammary epithelial cells1. This anti-proliferative effect of butyrate makes it a chemo-preventive agent for the treatment of cancers. This SCFA is essential to maintain the normal intestinal health by bridging the communication between the gut and peripheral tissues. It can regulate the immune system of intestinal epithelial cells by regulating the modulating activity of different enzymes and transcriptional factors in the intestinal epithelial cells2,3. A butyrate analogue such as sodium butyrate induces the expression of antimicrobial peptide genes (TAP and β -defensin) to maintain the innate immunity of mammary epithelial cells4. Butyric acid analogues also have the property of inducing reprogramming of somatic cells to produce iPSCs which are mediated by c-myc5. Briefly, it indicates that butyrate is a potential therapeutic agent with clinical implications in human and veterinary medicine.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv117%2Fi3%2F362-364