Gut Inflammation and Immunity: What Is the Role of the Human Gut Virome?

The human virome comprises viruses that infect host cells, virus-derived elements in our chromosomes, and viruses that infect other organisms, including bacteriophages and plant viruses. The development of high-throughput sequencing techniques has shown that the human gut microbiome is a complex com...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Alfredo Focà, Maria Carla Liberto, Angela Quirino, Nadia Marascio, Emilia Zicca, Grazia Pavia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2015-01-01
Series:Mediators of Inflammation
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/326032
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Summary:The human virome comprises viruses that infect host cells, virus-derived elements in our chromosomes, and viruses that infect other organisms, including bacteriophages and plant viruses. The development of high-throughput sequencing techniques has shown that the human gut microbiome is a complex community in which the virome plays a crucial role into regulation of intestinal immunity and homeostasis. Nevertheless, the size of the human virome is still poorly understood. Indeed the enteric virome is in a continuous and dynamic equilibrium with other components of the gut microbiome and the gut immune system, an interaction that may influence the health and disease of the host. We review recent evidence on the viruses found in the gastrointestinal tract, discussing their interactions with the resident bacterial microbiota and the host immune system, in order to explore the potential impact of the virome on human health.
ISSN:0962-9351
1466-1861