Projektdaten

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Microbial Metabolites: Influencing Factors in Respiratory Infections

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In recent years, our group established two distinct murine obesity models for viral pneumonia. Interestingly, in obese phenotype (diet-induced-obesity (DIO) model and ob/ob model (Leptin-knockout)), we detected a significant alteration of the gut microbiome. In this project we aim to define the dynamic balance of microbial consortia of the gut and lung, the impact of obesity and their influence on lung infections. For this, viral infection will be carried out by using influenza A virus. We hypothesize that the changes of the disbalanced gut microbiota during obesity affect alveolar homeostasis by specific bacterial metabolites, leading to a weaker antiviral response with direct effect on a higher pathogen load. Therefore, we want to investigate (I) the sensing and influence of bacterial metabolites in alveolar cells under respiratory infection and (II) the g-protein coupled receptor GPR41/43 of alveolar macrophages to understand signaling processes with a focus on inflammasome activation.