Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28854168›Full record

ArticleNature2017

Commensal bacteria make GPCR ligands that mimic human signalling molecules.

Louis J Cohen, Daria Esterhazy, Seong-Hwan Kim, Christophe Lemetre, Rhiannon R Aguilar, Emma A Gordon, Amanda J Pickard, Justin R Cross, Ana B Emiliano, Sun M Han and 8 more

Erratum issuedAbstract readComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 278 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
278citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
22.9field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

278 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 478 citations in OpenAlex.

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  13. Gut microbe-derivedProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026
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  16. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026
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218 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Louis J CohenLaboratory of Genetically Encoded Small Molecules, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA.
Daria EsterhazyLaboratory of Mucosal Immunology, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA.
Seong-Hwan KimLaboratory of Genetically Encoded Small Molecules, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA.
Christophe LemetreLaboratory of Genetically Encoded Small Molecules, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA.
Rhiannon R AguilarLaboratory of Genetically Encoded Small Molecules, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA.
Emma A GordonLaboratory of Genetically Encoded Small Molecules, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA.
Amanda J PickardDonald B. and Catherine C. Marron Cancer Metabolism Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, USA.
Justin R CrossDonald B. and Catherine C. Marron Cancer Metabolism Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, USA.
Ana B EmilianoLaboratory of Molecular Genetics, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA.
Sun M HanLaboratory of Genetically Encoded Small Molecules, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA.
John ChuLaboratory of Genetically Encoded Small Molecules, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA.
Xavier Vila-FarresLaboratory of Genetically Encoded Small Molecules, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA.
Jeremy KaplittLaboratory of Genetically Encoded Small Molecules, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA.
Aneta RogozLaboratory of Mucosal Immunology, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA.
Paula Y CalleLaboratory of Genetically Encoded Small Molecules, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA.
Craig HunterComparative Biosciences Center, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA.
J Kipchirchir BitokLaboratory of Genetically Encoded Small Molecules, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA.
Sean F BradyLaboratory of Genetically Encoded Small Molecules, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA.
Rockefeller University · USMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center · US

Funding

A minimally invasive synthetic bio-driven approach for natural products discoveryU01GM110714 · NIGMS · ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY · PI BRADY, SEAN F · 2015 to 2019
$11.1M
Discovery of Antibiotics from Soil Microbiomes Using MetagenomicsR35GM122559 · NIGMS · ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY · PI SEAN F BRADY · 2017 to 2026
$4.7M
TRAINING PROGRAM IN INVESTIGATIVE GASTROENTEROLOGYT32DK007792 · NIDDK · MOUNT SINAI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE OF NYU · PI CHO, JUDY H. · 2001 to 2016
$2.3M
Defining Host-Microbial Interactions Using Functional MetagenomicsK08DK109287 · NIDDK · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · PI COHEN, LOUIS JARED · 2016 to 2021
$834k
NIDDK NIH HHS K08 DK109287NIDDK NIH HHS K08 DK109287-01NIDDK NIH HHS T32 DK007792NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM122559NIGMS NIH HHS U01 GM110714
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Commensal bacteria are believed to have important roles in human health. The mechanisms by which they affect mammalian physiology remain poorly understood, but bacterial metabolites are likely to be key components of host interactions. Here we use bioinformatics and synthetic biology to mine the human microbiota for N-acyl amides that interact with G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). We found that N-acyl amide synthase genes are enriched in gastrointestinal bacteria and the lipids that they encode interact with GPCRs that regulate gastrointestinal tract physiology. Mouse and cell-based models demonstrate that commensal GPR119 agonists regulate metabolic hormones and glucose homeostasis as efficiently as human ligands, although future studies are needed to define their potential physiological role in humans. Our results suggest that chemical mimicry of eukaryotic signalling molecules may be common among commensal bacteria and that manipulation of microbiota genes encoding metabolites that elicit host cellular responses represents a possible small-molecule therapeutic modality (microbiome-biosynthetic gene therapy).

Indexed as

Biological MimicrySignal TransductionSymbiosisAmidesAnimalsBacteriaBlood GlucoseFemaleGastrointestinal MicrobiomeGastrointestinal TractHEK293 CellsHomeostasisHumansLigandsMaleMiceAmidesBlood GlucoseGPR119 protein, humanLigandsReceptors, G-Protein-Coupled

Identifiers

PMID28854168
PMCPMC5777231
OpenAlexW2753100975

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.