Dietary protein source alters gut physiology through direct and microbiota-mediated effects

Dietary protein source and gut microbiota jointly influence host gut physiology, with distinct effects on immune response, digestion, and barrier function across six protein types.

• Why it matters: Understanding how different dietary proteins affect host health is crucial for optimizing nutrition and disease prevention, but the specific host and microbiota responses remain unclear.
• What they did: Metaproteomics analyzed fecal samples from germ-free and conventional mice fed six purified protein sources, quantifying host, microbial, and dietary proteins to identify differential responses.
• The result: Both protein source and microbiota presence shape host responses, revealing that dietary proteins modulate immune, digestive, and barrier functions through microbiota interactions, impacting overall physiology.