Gut microbe-derived trimethylamine shapes circadian rhythms through the host receptor TAAR5.

ABSTRACT: Elevated levels of the gut microbe-derived metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) are associated with cardiometabolic disease risk. However, the mechanism(s) linking TMAO production to human disease are incompletely understood. Initiation of the metaorganismal TMAO pathway begins when dietary choline and related metabolites are converted to trimethylamine (TMA) by gut bacteria. Gut microbe-derived TMA can then be further oxidized by host flavin-containing monooxygenases to generate TMAO. Previously, we showed that drugs lowering both TMA and TMAO protect mice against obesity via rewiring of host circadian rhythms (Schugar et al., 2022). Although most mechanistic studies in the literature have focused on the metabolic end product TMAO, here we have instead tested whether the primar

SUBMITTER: Mahen KK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12854671 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature