Several of the GPCRs we study are receptors for metabolites, known as short chain fatty acids, which are made by gut microbes. We also find that short chain fatty acids can influence both blood pressure regulation, and, other aspects of cardiovascular function. Thus, we have developed a strong focus in understanding how host-microbiome interactions influence blood pressure regulation and cardiovascular function in both health and disease.
Selected Papers from this Research
Moore BN, Pluznick JL. Commensal microbiota regulate renal gene expression in a sex-specific manner. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2023 Jun 1;324(6):F511-F520.
Xu J, Pluznick JL. Key amino acids alter activity and trafficking of a well-conserved olfactory receptor. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2022 Jun 1;322(6):C1279-C1288. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35544696/
Halperin Kuhns VL, Sanchez J, Sarver DC, Khalil Z, Rajkumar P, Marr KA, Pluznick JL. Characterizing Novel Olfactory Receptors Expressed in the Renal Cortex. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2019 May 1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.
Cheema MU, Pluznick JL. Gut Microbiota Plays a Central Role to Modulate the Plasma and Fecal Metabolomes in Response to Angiotensin II. Hypertension. 2019 Jul; 74(1): 184-193. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.
Poll BG, Cheema MU, Pluznick JL. Gut Microbial Metabolites and Blood Pressure Regulation: Focus on SCFAs and TMAO. Physiology (Bethesda). 2020 July;35(4):275-284. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.
Pluznick JL. The gut microbiota in kidney disease. Science. 2020 Sept 18;369(6510):1426-1427. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.
Poll BG, Xu J, Jun S, Sanchez J, Zaidman N, He X, Lester L, Berkowitz DB, Paolocci N, Gao WB, Pluznick JL. Acetate, a Short-Chain Fatty Acid, Acutely Lowers Heart Rate and Cardiac Contractility along with Blood Pressure. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2021 Jan 7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.
Shubitowski TB, Poll BG, Natarajan N, Pluznick JL. Short-chain fatty acid delivery: assessing exogenous administration of the microbiome metabolite acetate in mice. Physiol Rep 2019 Feb; 7(4):e14005. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.
Aisenberg WH, Huang J, Zhu W, Rajkumar P, Cruz R, Santhanam L, Natarajan N, Yong HM, De Santiago B, Oh JJ, Yoon AR, Panettieri RA, Homann O, Sullivan JK, Liggett SB, Pluznick JL, An SS. Defining an olfactory receptor function in airway smooth muscle cells. Sci Rep 2016 Dec 1;6:38231. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.
Natarajan N, Hori D, Flavahan S, Steppan J, Flavahan NA, Berkowitz DE, Pluznick JL. Microbial short chain fatty acid metabolites lower blood pressure via endothelial G-protein coupled receptor 41. Physiol Genomics. 2016 Sep 23. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.
Pluznick JL, Protzko RJ, Gevorgyan H, Peterlin Z, Sipos A, Han J, Brunet I, Wan L, Rey FE, Wang T, Firestein SJ, Yanagisawa M, Gordon JI, Eichmann A, Peti-Peterdi J, Caplan MJ. An Olfactory Receptor Responding to Gut Microbiota-Derived Signals Plays a Role in Renin Secretion and Blood Pressure Regulation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013. Mar 12;110(11):4410-5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.