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09 January 2018

Microbe-controlled Muscle

Swallowing food, digesting it, and finally excreting the waste at the other end depends on peristalsis – the involuntary muscle movement that transports and mixes food substances as they pass through the gastrointestinal tract. Although these rhythmic muscle movements are essential for feeding and digestion in animals as diverse as humans and simple invertebrate hydra, very little is understood about what controls the process. Now scientists have discovered that, in hydra at least, peristaltic contractions (a typical cycle of which is shown) are regulated in part by the organisms’ own microbes. Removing the microbiota from hydra caused peristaltic contractions to diminish in frequency and regularity, while restoring the microbes (or their secretions) prompted more typical contractions. Given that disrupted microbiomes have been associated with gut motility disorders in humans, the new research suggests that gut microbe imbalance may not simply be a consequence of such disorders, but possibly a cause.

Written by Ruth Williams

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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