The mammalian gut microbiota has been linked to host developmental, immunologic, and metabolic outcomes. This collection of trillions of microbes inhabits the gut and produces a myriad of metabolites, which are measurable in host circulation and contribute to the pathogenesis of human diseases. The link between endogenous metabolite availability and chromatin regulation is a well-established and active area of investigation; however, whether microbial metabolites can elicit similar effects is less understood. In this review, we focus on seminal and recent research that establishes chromatin regulatory roles for both endogenous and microbial metabolites. We also highlight key physiologic and disease settings where microbial metabolite-host chromatin interactions have been established and/or may be pertinent.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.trsl.2017.08.005 | DOI Listing |
Environ Microbiome
January 2025
Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.
Background: Recovery of degraded coral reefs is reliant upon the recruitment of coral larvae, yet the mechanisms behind coral larval settlement are not well understood, especially for non-acroporid species. Biofilms associated with reef substrates, such as coral rubble or crustose coralline algae, can induce coral larval settlement; however, the specific biochemical cues and the microorganisms that produce them remain largely unknown. Here, we assessed larval settlement responses in five non-acroporid broadcast-spawning coral species in the families Merulinidae, Lobophyllidae and Poritidae to biofilms developed in aquaria for either one or two months under light and dark treatments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBest Pract Res Clin Rheumatol
January 2025
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University People's Hospital, No. 11, Xizhimen South Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100044, China; Beijing Key Laboratory for Rheumatism Mechanism and Immune Diagnosis (BZ0135), No. 11, Xizhimen South Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100044, China; Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, No. 11, Xizhimen South Street, Xicheng District, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA. Electronic address:
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex autoimmune disease with growing evidence implicating the microbiota as a critical contributor to its pathogenesis. This review explores the multifaceted roles of microbial dysbiosis in RA, emphasizing its impact on immune cell modulation, autoantibody production, gut barrier integrity, and joint inflammation. Animal models reveal how genetic predisposition and environmental factors interact with specific microbial taxa to influence disease susceptibility.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMetab Eng
January 2025
Microbial Chemistry, Department of Chemistry-Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. Electronic address:
Acetate is a biological anion with many applications in the chemical and food industries. In addition to being a common microbial fermentative end-product, acetate can be produced by photosynthetic cyanobacteria from CO using solar energy. Using wild-type cells of the unicellular model cyanobacterium Synechocystis PCC 6803 only low levels of acetate are observed outside the cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMucosal Immunol
January 2025
Gale and Ira Drukier Institute for Children's Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, United States; Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School, New York, NY 10065, United States. Electronic address:
Our immune system and gut microbiota are intricately coupled from birth, both going through maturation during early life and senescence during aging almost in a synchronized fashion. The symbiotic relationship between the human host and microbiota is critically dependent on a healthy immune system to keep our microbiota in check; while the microbiota provides essential functions to promote the development and fitness of our immune system. The partnership between our immune system and microbiota is particularly important during early life, in which microbial ligands and metabolites shape the development of the immune cells and immune tolerance; during aging, having sufficient beneficial gut bacteria is critical for the maintenance of intact mucosal barriers, immune metabolic fitness, and strong immunity against pathogens.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCell
January 2025
Program in Bioinformatics, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Center for Network Systems Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02218, USA; Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Division of Oncological Sciences, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA. Electronic address:
Knowledge of protein-metabolite interactions can enhance mechanistic understanding and chemical probing of biochemical processes, but the discovery of endogenous ligands remains challenging. Here, we combined rapid affinity purification with precision mass spectrometry and high-resolution molecular docking to precisely map the physical associations of 296 chemically diverse small-molecule metabolite ligands with 69 distinct essential enzymes and 45 transcription factors in the gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli. We then conducted systematic metabolic pathway integration, pan-microbial evolutionary projections, and independent in-depth biophysical characterization experiments to define the functional significance of ligand interfaces.
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