Project description:Here, we explore the impact of rearing zebrafish embryos in the absence of microbes on early neural development as well as investigate whether any potential changes can be rescued with treatment of metabolites derived from the zebrafish gut microbiota. RNA was extracted from a pool of five heads for each treatment at long-pec stage (2 days post fertilization) and sequenced at a depth of 80-100 million reads per sample. We identified 361 genes significantly down regulated in GF embryos compared to conventionally raised embryos via RNA-Seq analysis. Of these, 42 were rescued with the treatment of zebrafish gut-derived metabolites to GF embryos. Gene ontology analysis revealed that these genes are involved in prominent neurodevelopmental pathways including transcriptional regulation and Wnt signalling.
Project description:Gut microbiota plays an important role during early development via bidirectional gut- brain signaling. We aimed to explore the potential link between gut microbiota/gut derived metabolites and sympathoadrenal stress responsivity
Project description:Numerous studies signify that diets rich in phytochemicals reduce the risk of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). However, their effects are often not uniform among individuals, possibly due to inter-individual variation in gut microbiota. The host indigenous gut microbiota and their metabolites have emerged as factors that greatly influence the efficacy of dietary interventions. The biological activities, mechanisms of actions and the specific targets of several microbial metabolites are unknown. Urolithin A (UroA) is one such natural microbial metabolite, which showed (including our recent study) anti-carcinogenic, anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. The goal of the experiment to determine if Urolithin A blocks the genes induced by lipopolysaccharide (mimicking bacterial effects on colon) as well as determine effects of Urolithin A alone.
Project description:The microbiota plays a major role in cancer. How the microbiota interacts with nutrients to produce regulatory metabolites is of significance for cancer therapy. Using a host-microbe-drug-nutrient 4-way screening approach, we evaluated the role of nutrition at the molecular level in the context of 5-fluorouracil toxicity. Notably, we identified the metabolite 2-methylisocitrate to be produced and enriched in human tumor-associated microbiomes. 2-methylisocitrate exhibits anti-proliferative properties across genetically- and tissue-diverse cancer cell lines, 3D spheroids, and an in vivo Drosophila gut tumor model, where it reduced tumor dissemination and increased survival. Drug-metabolite screening traced the chemotherapeutic signatures indicating synergy between 5-fluorouracil and 2-methylisocitrate, and multi-omic analyses revealed that 2-methylisocitrate acts via multiple cellular pathways linking metabolism and DNA damage to regulate chemotherapy. Finally, building on nature’s template, we altered the chemical structure of 2-methylisocitrate, enhancing its potency. This work highlights the great impact of microbiome-derived metabolites on tumor proliferation, and their potential as promising co-adjuvants for cancer treatment.
Project description:Hesperidin, a citrus flavonoid glycoside, was investigated for its protective effects against high-fat diet (HFD)-induced metabolic syndrome in mice. Twelve weeks of supplementation markedly attenuated body weight gain, hepatic steatosis, adipocyte hypertrophy, dyslipidemia, and systemic inflammation, while enhancing glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. 16S rRNA sequencing demonstrated that hesperidin partially restored microbial diversity and selectively enriched beneficial taxa, including Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Akkermansia. Serum metabolomics revealed increased levels of microbial-derived metabolites such as cinnamic acid, hippuric acid, and sulfated phenolic acids, compounds associated with anti-obesity, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Transcriptomic profiling of inguinal white adipose tissue identified broad remodeling of metabolic pathways, with notable activation of calcium signaling, implicating both UCP1-dependent browning and UCP1-independent calcium futile cycling in thermogenesis. Importantly, antibiotic treatment abolished the metabolic benefits and suppressed the generation of bioactive metabolites, underscoring the indispensable role of gut microbiota in hesperidin bioactivity. Together, these findings delineate a microbiota–metabolite–adipose tissue axis through which hesperidin confers systemic metabolic protection, highlighting its potential as a microbiota-targeted dietary strategy for managing obesity-related disorders.
Project description:Inflammation plays a crucial role in the development of acute kidney injury (AKI) and subsequent chronic kidney disease (CKD) following renal ischemia-reperfusion (IR). It has been demonstrated that metabolites from the gut microbiota can trigger inflammatory responses and modulate renal damage induced by IR. However, the exact driving factors and underlying mechanisms of this process remain unclear. Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a choline metabolite derived from the gut, has been observed to increase in AKI and CKD patients. Our study reveals that glycyrrhizic acid (GA) exacerbates IR-induced AKI and subsequent CKD through TMAO. To delve into the underlying mechanisms, we employed single-cell sequencing to construct a molecular map of kidney cells.
Project description:Gut microbiota and their metabolites influence host gene expression and physiological status through diverse mechanisms. Here we investigate how gut microbiota and their metabolites impact host's mRNA m6A epitranscriptome in various antibiotic-induced microbiota dysbiosis models. With multi-omics analysis, we find that the imbalance of gut microbiota can rewire host mRNA m6A epitranscriptomic profiles in brain, liver and intestine. We further explore the underlying mechanisms regulating host mRNA m6A methylome by depleting the microbiota with ampicillin. Metabolomic profiling shows that cholic acids are the main down-regulated metabolites with Firmicutes as the most significantly reduced genus in ampicillin-treated mice comparing to untreated mice. Fecal microbiota transplantations in germ-free mice and metabolites supplementations in cells verify that cholic acids are associated with host mRNA m6A epitranscriptomic rewiring. Collectively, this study employs an integrative multi-omics analysis to demonstrate the impact of gut microbiota dysbiosis on host mRNA m6A epitranscriptomic landscape via cholic acid metabolism.
Project description:Gut microbiota and their metabolites influence host gene expression and physiological status through diverse mechanisms. Here we investigate how gut microbiota and their metabolites impact host′s mRNA m6A epitranscriptome in various antibiotic-induced microbiota dysbiosis models. With multi-omics analysis, we find that the imbalance of gut microbiota can rewire host mRNA m6A epitranscriptomic profiles in brain, liver and intestine. We further explore the underlying mechanisms regulating host mRNA m6A methylome by depleting the microbiota with ampicillin. Metabolomic profiling shows that cholic acids are the main down-regulated metabolites with Firmicutes as the most significantly reduced genus in ampicillin-treated mice comparing to untreated mice. Fecal microbiota transplantations in germ-free mice and metabolites supplementations in cells verify that cholic acids are associated with host mRNA m6A epitranscriptomic rewiring. Collectively, this study employs an integrative multi-omics analysis to demonstrate the impact of gut microbiota dysbiosis on host mRNA m6A epitranscriptomic landscape via cholic acid metabolism.
Project description:The gut microbiota and its metabolites critically regulate immune cell phenotype, function, and energy metabolism. We screened a collection of gut microbiota-related metabolites to identify modulators of mitochondrial metabolism in T cells. Here, we show that indole-3-propionic acid (IPA) stimulates mitochondrial respiration of CD4+ T cells by increasing the oxidation of fatty acids and amino acids (FAO and AAO), while inhibiting glycolytic capacity. IPA also impacts CD4+ T cell behavior by inhibiting their differentiation to TH1 and TH17 phenotypes. Mechanistically, the metabolic and immune effects of IPA are mediated by Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-beta/delta. The administration of IPA rescues mitochondria respiration in mice with gut bacteria depletion or colitis by enhancing FAO and AAO in colonic CD4+ T cells. Adoptive transfer experiments show that IPA acts on CD4+T cells to exert its protective effect against inflammation. Collectively, our study reveals that the anti-inflammatory effects of IPA are mediated by metabolic reprogramming of CD4+ T cells toward the enhancement of mitochondrial respiration.