Research Highlights
Akkermansia muciniphila is a keystone species inhabiting host
intestinal mucus layer and contributes to the maintenance of
a healthy gut barrier.
A lower abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila is associated
with poor metabolic health, whereas a higher abundance is
linked to better metabolic health.
Its membrane protein Amuc_1100 can help maintain host
gut barrier integrity, support immune homeostasis, and
improve metabolic functions via TLR2 signaling. Amuc_1100
remains active after pasteurization.
A human clinical trial demonstrated that pasteurized
Akkermansia muciniphila is more effective than the live
bacterium in improving metabolic health-related parameters.
A unique, mucin-loving keystone species
The gut mucus layer forms a natural defense barrier, and its integrity
is vital for maintaining the intestinal health of the host.1 Akkermansia
muciniphila, unlike many of the known probiotic species, is a unique
commensal microbe inhabiting the mucus layer, where it can
interact closely with host intestinal epithelial cells and immune cells.
Akkermansia muciniphila is known to utilize mucins (key components
of mucus) as nutrient and energy sources and produce beneficial
short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).2
It is believed that through reinforcing
gut barrier function, Akkermansia muciniphila supports various bodily
functions, such as energy, lipid, and glucose metabolism as well as
immune responses.3
Clinical relevance of Akkermansia muciniphila
The presence and abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila in the gut
may be indicative of the host’s metabolic health:4
• In multiple human cohort studies, the abundance of Akkermansia
muciniphila is reduced in the microbiomes of individuals with
obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2DM), impaired glucose control, high
blood pressure, inflammatory bowel diseases, and liver diseases
(Figure 1).5-10
• Conversely, greater abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila is
linked with a leaner body weight, lower body fat mass, and greater
improvement in insulin sensitivity (Figure 1).5,11
Science Review
Proposed mechanisms of actions of Akkermansia
muciniphila
Recent intervention studies in animals demonstrated Akkermansia
muciniphila administration reversed high-fat diet-induced metabolic
disorders, fat-mass gain, metabolic endotoxemia, adipose tissue
inflammation, and insulin resistance.12 As seen in Figure 2, Akkermansia
muciniphila has been demonstrated to exert several mechanisms of action
such as:
• Enhance mucin production by increasing the number and density of
goblet cells (mucin-producing cells), which helps restore the thickness
of the mucus layer.13
• Increase the expression of tight-junction proteins within the intestinal
epithelium to augment the integrity of tight junctions.14
• Its membrane protein Amuc_1100 binding to Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2),
leading to activation of anti-inflammatory pathways, prevention of
lipopolysaccharides (LPS) translocation, and improvement in mucin
secretion and gut barrier.15
More important, researchers discovered that mice receiving pasteurized
Akkermansia muciniphila had a greater reduction in body weight, fat-mass
gain, plasma lipids, and insulin-resistance markers than mice receiving the
live bacterium.15 Research found that the protein Amuc_1100 remained
heat-stable after pasteurization, and its administration alone recapitulated
most of the observed metabolic benefits in vivo. This suggests that
pasteurization enhances the effects of Akkermansia muciniphila by
increasing accessibility of Amuc_1100 to the host.15
Akkermansia muciniphila is a keystone species inhabiting host
intestinal mucus layer and contributes to the maintenance of
a healthy gut barrier.
A lower abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila is associated
with poor metabolic health, whereas a higher abundance is
linked to better metabolic health.
Its membrane protein Amuc_1100 can help maintain host
gut barrier integrity, support immune homeostasis, and
improve metabolic functions via TLR2 signaling. Amuc_1100
remains active after pasteurization.
A human clinical trial demonstrated that pasteurized
Akkermansia muciniphila is more effective than the live
bacterium in improving metabolic health-related parameters.
A unique, mucin-loving keystone species
The gut mucus layer forms a natural defense barrier, and its integrity
is vital for maintaining the intestinal health of the host.1 Akkermansia
muciniphila, unlike many of the known probiotic species, is a unique
commensal microbe inhabiting the mucus layer, where it can
interact closely with host intestinal epithelial cells and immune cells.
Akkermansia muciniphila is known to utilize mucins (key components
of mucus) as nutrient and energy sources and produce beneficial
short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).2
It is believed that through reinforcing
gut barrier function, Akkermansia muciniphila supports various bodily
functions, such as energy, lipid, and glucose metabolism as well as
immune responses.3
Clinical relevance of Akkermansia muciniphila
The presence and abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila in the gut
may be indicative of the host’s metabolic health:4
• In multiple human cohort studies, the abundance of Akkermansia
muciniphila is reduced in the microbiomes of individuals with
obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2DM), impaired glucose control, high
blood pressure, inflammatory bowel diseases, and liver diseases
(Figure 1).5-10
• Conversely, greater abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila is
linked with a leaner body weight, lower body fat mass, and greater
improvement in insulin sensitivity (Figure 1).5,11
Science Review
Proposed mechanisms of actions of Akkermansia
muciniphila
Recent intervention studies in animals demonstrated Akkermansia
muciniphila administration reversed high-fat diet-induced metabolic
disorders, fat-mass gain, metabolic endotoxemia, adipose tissue
inflammation, and insulin resistance.12 As seen in Figure 2, Akkermansia
muciniphila has been demonstrated to exert several mechanisms of action
such as:
• Enhance mucin production by increasing the number and density of
goblet cells (mucin-producing cells), which helps restore the thickness
of the mucus layer.13
• Increase the expression of tight-junction proteins within the intestinal
epithelium to augment the integrity of tight junctions.14
• Its membrane protein Amuc_1100 binding to Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2),
leading to activation of anti-inflammatory pathways, prevention of
lipopolysaccharides (LPS) translocation, and improvement in mucin
secretion and gut barrier.15
More important, researchers discovered that mice receiving pasteurized
Akkermansia muciniphila had a greater reduction in body weight, fat-mass
gain, plasma lipids, and insulin-resistance markers than mice receiving the
live bacterium.15 Research found that the protein Amuc_1100 remained
heat-stable after pasteurization, and its administration alone recapitulated
most of the observed metabolic benefits in vivo. This suggests that
pasteurization enhances the effects of Akkermansia muciniphila by
increasing accessibility of Amuc_1100 to the host.15