Metabolite mimicry identifies butyrate analogs with select protective functions in the intestinal mucosa.

ABSTRACT: Microbial-derived short-chain fatty acids regulate a variety of pathways in the healthy colonic mucosa. In particular, butyrate serves as the primary energy source for colonocytes and regulates gene transcription by stabilizing the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible-factors (HIF) and functioning as a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor. A limitation of butyrate as a therapeutic is its rapid metabolism in differentiated colonocytes. Furthermore, intestinal stem cells (ISCs) respond differently to butyrate, preferentially using glucose for energy procurement. To address these limitations, we explored metabolite mimicry to identify compounds with potent or selective biological responses within the butyrate pathway(s). We found an analog, 3-chlorobutyrate (3-Cl BA), that significantly enh

SUBMITTER: Ornelas A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC13080012 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature