HOST-MICROBIOTA FACTORS REGULATING ZINC BIOAVAILABILITY ATTENUATED BY PHYTATE

Our long-term goal is to identify the genetic factors in humans and microbiota that regulate micronutrient metabolisms in order to build foundational knowledge on practicing precision nutrition. In this project, we aim to determine the genetic factors of host and microbiota that regulate zinc bioavailability attenuated by phytate. Our main hypotheses are that: (1) the extent of phytate hydrolysis is regulated by small intestine microbiota and (2) the products of hydrolysis--myo-inositol (MI) and inositol phosphates (IPs)--impact zinc bioavailability via their interactions with an intestinal transporter. We will test the hypotheses with three objectives: 1) determine the role of phytate-hydrolyzed products in zinc absorption and its dependence on SMIT1; 2) determine whether MI co-treatment induces the bioavailability of zinc complexed with phytate; 3) determine the impact of phytase genes in small intestine microbiota on phytate hydrolysis and zinc bioavailability.