During T2D progression, diet-driven unfavorable microbiota composition can lead to disturbed gut flora composition with intestinal mucosal barrier damage, reduced probiotic (including butyric acid-producing bacteria) populations, increased populations of conditionally pathogenic bacteria, and increased production of pro-inflammatory LPS, which in turn exacerbate insulin resistance and metabolic disturbances in T2D via the NF-κB and the JNK signaling pathways (Lewis and Taylor, 2020; Meng et al., 2023). The gene discussed is MAPK8; the disease is type 2 diabetes mellitus.