Gut microbiome species <i>Levilactobacillus brevis</i> regulates reproductive fitness in <i>C. elegans</i>.

ABSTRACT: The human gut microbiome has attracted considerable attention in recent years due to its broad impact on various physiological processes; however, the mechanisms underlying host-microbiota interactions are not fully understood. In particular, direct causal relationships between specific species and host health outcomes remain to be established. Here we examined the effects of human gut microbiome species Levilactobacillus brevis (L. brevis) on host health using C. elegans and found that L. brevis feeding caused significant reproductive dysfunction, including severe egg retention leading to fewer eggs laid, and abnormal egg morphologies. These effects were associated with impaired serotonin signaling in hermaphrodite-specific neurons (HSNs), which regulate egg-la

SUBMITTER: Braun NJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12464547 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature