Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
Bioessays. 2017 Dec;39(12). doi: 10.1002/bies.201700032. Epub 2017 Oct 4.
The last decade has seen an explosion of research on the gut microbiota-the trillions of microorganisms that colonize the human gut. It is now clear that interindividual diversity in microbiota composition plays an important role in determining susceptibility to a wide variety of diseases. However, identifying the precise changes in microbiota composition that play causal roles has remained a largely unrealized goal. Here, we propose that functional classifications of microbes based on their interactions with and effects on the host-particularly the host immune system-will illuminate the role of the microbiota in shaping human physiology. We outline the benefits of "functional" classification compared to phylogenetic classifications, and review current efforts at functional classification of the microbiota. Finally, we outline a theoretical framework for classifying host-microbiota interactions. Future advances enabling broader functional classifications of the microbiota promise to revolutionize our understanding of the role of gut microbes in health and disease.
过去十年，人们对肠道微生物群的研究呈爆炸式增长——这些微生物栖息在人类肠道中，数量达万亿之多。现在很清楚的是，个体间微生物群组成的多样性在决定对各种疾病的易感性方面起着重要作用。然而，确定在微生物群组成中起因果作用的确切变化仍然是一个尚未实现的目标。在这里，我们提出，基于微生物与宿主（特别是宿主免疫系统）相互作用及其影响的功能分类，将阐明微生物群在塑造人体生理学中的作用。我们概述了基于功能的分类相对于系统发育分类的优势，并回顾了目前对微生物群的功能分类的努力。最后，我们概述了一种分类宿主-微生物群相互作用的理论框架。未来使微生物群更广泛的功能分类的进展有望彻底改变我们对肠道微生物在健康和疾病中的作用的理解。
