Associations between Nutrigenomic Effects and Incidences of Microbial Resistance against Novel Antibiotics

Abstract

Nutrigenomics is the study of the impact of diets or nutrients on gene expression and phenotypes using high-throughput technologies such as transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, etc. The bioactive components of diets and nutrients, as an environmental factor, transmit information through altered gene expression and hence the overall function and traits of the organism. Dietary components and nutrients not only serve as a source of energy but also, through their interactions with genes, regulate gut microbiome composition, the production of metabolites, various biological processes, and finally, health and disease. Antimicrobial resistance in pathogenic and probiotic microorganisms has emerged as a major public health concern due to the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes in various food products. Recent evidence suggests a correlation between the regulation of genes and two-component and other signaling systems that drive antibiotic resistance in response to diets and nutrients. Therefore, diets and nutrients may be alternatively used to overcome antibiotic resistance against novel antibiotics. However, little progress has been made in this direction. In this review, we discuss the possible implementations of nutrigenomics in antibiotic resistance against novel antibiotics.

Keywords: antimicrobial resistance; gut microbiome; novel antibiotics; nutrigenomics.

Figure 1

Illustration of the relationships between nutrition and the genome [29]. (A) Nutrigenetics: genetic polymorphisms can induce differential gene expression. As a result, different metabotypes exist, which show different responses to nutrition, different nutrient requirements, and potential food intolerance. Of note, the location of SNPs can also affect epigenetic modifications. (B–D) Nutrigenomics: methyl donor availability, bioactivity of dietary compounds, and xenobiotics (B) can affect the one-carbon cycle and other pathways, thus consequentially, affecting DNA methylation and histone modifications (C). Not just parental molecules (B) but also derived compounds and metabolic products of microbial activity (D) can affect these pathways (C).

Figure 2

General antimicrobial resistance mechanisms [31]. By Kosmidis 2015. Reproduced from C Reygaert, W, 2018.

Figure 3

Potential routes for antimicrobial resistance.