Pub Date : 2025-10-08DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2025.09.002
Evie R. Hodgson, Diana Stojanovski
In a recent Science paper, Medeiros et al. describe how infected cells use mitochondria as metabolic guardians, outcompeting Toxoplasma parasites for folate, an essential vitamin for DNA synthesis. This metabolic immunity strategy transforms the cell’s powerhouse to an active defender, sequestering nutrients away from invaders in a metabolic tug-of-war.
{"title":"Metabolic tug-of-war: Mitochondria starve Toxoplasma of folate","authors":"Evie R. Hodgson, Diana Stojanovski","doi":"10.1016/j.chom.2025.09.002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2025.09.002","url":null,"abstract":"In a recent <em>Science</em> paper, Medeiros et al. describe how infected cells use mitochondria as metabolic guardians, outcompeting <em>Toxoplasma</em> parasites for folate, an essential vitamin for DNA synthesis. This metabolic immunity strategy transforms the cell’s powerhouse to an active defender, sequestering nutrients away from invaders in a metabolic tug-of-war.","PeriodicalId":9693,"journal":{"name":"Cell host & microbe","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145241737","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-08DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2025.09.001
Jingyuan Fu, Nine V.A.M. Knoers
Heart failure is life threatening and common in chronic kidney disease patients. In this issue,1 Zheng et al. report that toxin-generating E. coli tryptophan metabolism induces myocardial apoptosis, contributing to heart failure risk with kidney dysfunction. The authors show that a probiotic product reduces this risk in preclinical and clinical settings.
{"title":"Misfortunes never come singly: Microbial metabolites link heart failure and chronic kidney disease","authors":"Jingyuan Fu, Nine V.A.M. Knoers","doi":"10.1016/j.chom.2025.09.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2025.09.001","url":null,"abstract":"Heart failure is life threatening and common in chronic kidney disease patients. In this issue,<span><span><sup>1</sup></span></span> Zheng et al. report that toxin-generating <em>E. coli</em> tryptophan metabolism induces myocardial apoptosis, contributing to heart failure risk with kidney dysfunction. The authors show that a probiotic product reduces this risk in preclinical and clinical settings.","PeriodicalId":9693,"journal":{"name":"Cell host & microbe","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145241319","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-08DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2025.09.004
Francisco M. Gordillo-Cantón, Isabel Monte
Plant immune receptors hold great promise for engineering broad-spectrum disease resistance, but their effectiveness is very limited by restricted taxonomic functionality (RTF). In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Zhang et al. reveal that cross-species co-receptor transfer can overcome RTF in rice, pointing to new strategies for crop protection.
{"title":"Lost and found: Reconstituting PRR immune function through co-receptor transfer","authors":"Francisco M. Gordillo-Cantón, Isabel Monte","doi":"10.1016/j.chom.2025.09.004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2025.09.004","url":null,"abstract":"Plant immune receptors hold great promise for engineering broad-spectrum disease resistance, but their effectiveness is very limited by restricted taxonomic functionality (RTF). In this issue of <em>Cell Host & Microbe</em>, Zhang et al. reveal that cross-species co-receptor transfer can overcome RTF in rice, pointing to new strategies for crop protection.","PeriodicalId":9693,"journal":{"name":"Cell host & microbe","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145241320","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-08DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2025.09.008
Moshe Alon, Omri M. Finkel
Despite being an essential part of terrestrial ecosystems for ∼400 million years, the microbiome of wood is surprisingly underexplored. In a recent issue of Nature, Arnold et al. make a long overdue dive into the unique and surprisingly diverse prokaryotic and fungal communities of heartwood and sapwood.
{"title":"Carving out the microbiota of Earth’s largest biomass reservoir","authors":"Moshe Alon, Omri M. Finkel","doi":"10.1016/j.chom.2025.09.008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2025.09.008","url":null,"abstract":"Despite being an essential part of terrestrial ecosystems for ∼400 million years, the microbiome of wood is surprisingly underexplored. In a recent issue of <em>Nature</em>, Arnold et al. make a long overdue dive into the unique and surprisingly diverse prokaryotic and fungal communities of heartwood and sapwood.","PeriodicalId":9693,"journal":{"name":"Cell host & microbe","volume":"209 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145241317","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-08DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2025.09.011
Simona Seizova, Christopher J. Tonkin
In recent papers published in Cell and Cell Host and Microbe, Marzook et al. and Huang et al. investigate how Cryptosporidium, an enteric parasite, can acquire nutrients from its host and deals with potentially toxic products. These studies highlight that transporters are likely key to the success of this parasite.
在最近发表在Cell and Cell Host and Microbe杂志上的论文中,Marzook等人和Huang等人研究了肠道寄生虫隐孢子虫(Cryptosporidium)如何从宿主那里获取营养并处理潜在的有毒产物。这些研究强调,转运蛋白可能是这种寄生虫成功的关键。
{"title":"Metabolic clash of Cryptosporidium and its host","authors":"Simona Seizova, Christopher J. Tonkin","doi":"10.1016/j.chom.2025.09.011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2025.09.011","url":null,"abstract":"In recent papers published in <em>Cell</em> and <em>Cell Host and Microbe</em>, Marzook et al. and Huang et al. investigate how <em>Cryptosporidium</em>, an enteric parasite, can acquire nutrients from its host and deals with potentially toxic products. These studies highlight that transporters are likely key to the success of this parasite.","PeriodicalId":9693,"journal":{"name":"Cell host & microbe","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145241324","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-30DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2025.09.009
Rodrigo de Oliveira Formiga, Qing Li, Yining Zhao, Márcio Augusto Campos Ribeiro, Perle Guarino-Vignon, Rand Fatouh, Leonard Dubois, Laura Creusot, Virginie Puchois, Salomé Amouyal, Iria Alonso Salgueiro, Marius Bredon, Loïc Chollet, Tatiana Ledent, Cyril Scandola, Jean-Philippe Auger, Camille Danne, Gerhard Krönke, Emma Tkacz, Patrick Emond, Harry Sokol
Cadaverine is a polyamine produced by the gut microbiota with links to health and disease, notably inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Here, we show that cadaverine shapes monocyte-macrophage immunometabolism in a context- and concentration-dependent fashion to impact macrophage functionality. At baseline, cadaverine is taken up via L-lysine transporters and activates the thioredoxin system, while during inflammation, cadaverine signals through aconitate decarboxylase 1 (Acod1)-itaconate. Both pathways induce activation of transcription factor, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which supports mitochondrial respiration and promotes immunoregulatory macrophage polarization. Conversely, under higher concentrations, cadaverine acts via histamine 4 receptor, leading to glycolysis-driven inflammation and pro-inflammatory functions in macrophages. Likewise, cadaverine exhibits paradoxical effects in experimental colitis, either protective or detrimental, evoking opposite fates on macrophages depending on levels dictated by Enterobacteriaceae. In IBD patients, elevated cadaverine correlated with higher flare risk. Our findings implicate cadaverine as a microbiota-derived metabolite manipulating macrophage energy metabolism with consequences in intestinal inflammation and implications for IBD pathogenesis.
{"title":"Immunometabolic reprogramming of macrophages by gut microbiota-derived cadaverine controls colon inflammation","authors":"Rodrigo de Oliveira Formiga, Qing Li, Yining Zhao, Márcio Augusto Campos Ribeiro, Perle Guarino-Vignon, Rand Fatouh, Leonard Dubois, Laura Creusot, Virginie Puchois, Salomé Amouyal, Iria Alonso Salgueiro, Marius Bredon, Loïc Chollet, Tatiana Ledent, Cyril Scandola, Jean-Philippe Auger, Camille Danne, Gerhard Krönke, Emma Tkacz, Patrick Emond, Harry Sokol","doi":"10.1016/j.chom.2025.09.009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2025.09.009","url":null,"abstract":"Cadaverine is a polyamine produced by the gut microbiota with links to health and disease, notably inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Here, we show that cadaverine shapes monocyte-macrophage immunometabolism in a context- and concentration-dependent fashion to impact macrophage functionality. At baseline, cadaverine is taken up via L-lysine transporters and activates the thioredoxin system, while during inflammation, cadaverine signals through aconitate decarboxylase 1 (Acod1)-itaconate. Both pathways induce activation of transcription factor, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which supports mitochondrial respiration and promotes immunoregulatory macrophage polarization. Conversely, under higher concentrations, cadaverine acts via histamine 4 receptor, leading to glycolysis-driven inflammation and pro-inflammatory functions in macrophages. Likewise, cadaverine exhibits paradoxical effects in experimental colitis, either protective or detrimental, evoking opposite fates on macrophages depending on levels dictated by <em>Enterobacteriaceae</em>. In IBD patients, elevated cadaverine correlated with higher flare risk. Our findings implicate cadaverine as a microbiota-derived metabolite manipulating macrophage energy metabolism with consequences in intestinal inflammation and implications for IBD pathogenesis.","PeriodicalId":9693,"journal":{"name":"Cell host & microbe","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145189273","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Plant-associated microorganisms interact with each other and with host plants via intricate chemical signals, offering multiple benefits, including enhanced nutrition. We report a mechanism through which the rhizosphere microbiome improves plant growth under sulfur (S) deficiency. Disruption of plant S homeostasis caused a coordinated shift in the composition and S-metabolism of the rhizosphere microbiome. Leveraging this, we developed an 18-membered synthetic rhizosphere bacterial community (SynCom) that rescued the growth of Arabidopsis and a leafy Brassicaceae vegetable under S-deficiency. This beneficial trait is taxonomically widespread among SynCom members, with bacterial pairs providing both synergistic and neutral effects on host growth. Notably, stronger competitive interactions among SynCom members conferred greater fitness benefits to the host, suggesting a trans-kingdom (plant-microbe) fitness trade-off. Finally, guided chemical screening, deletion knockout mutants, and targeted metabolomics identified and validated microbially released glutathione (GSH) as the necessary bioactive signal that coordinates the trans-kingdom fitness trade-off and improves plant growth under sulfur limitation.
{"title":"A bacterial signal coordinates plant-microbe fitness trade-off to enhance sulfur deficiency tolerance in plants","authors":"Arijit Mukherjee, Mrinmoy Mazumder, Arun Verma, Hitesh Tikariha, Raktim Bhattacharya, Qi En Ooi, Sanjay Swarup","doi":"10.1016/j.chom.2025.09.007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2025.09.007","url":null,"abstract":"Plant-associated microorganisms interact with each other and with host plants via intricate chemical signals, offering multiple benefits, including enhanced nutrition. We report a mechanism through which the rhizosphere microbiome improves plant growth under sulfur (S) deficiency. Disruption of plant S homeostasis caused a coordinated shift in the composition and S-metabolism of the rhizosphere microbiome. Leveraging this, we developed an 18-membered synthetic rhizosphere bacterial community (SynCom) that rescued the growth of <em>Arabidopsis</em> and a leafy Brassicaceae vegetable under S-deficiency. This beneficial trait is taxonomically widespread among SynCom members, with bacterial pairs providing both synergistic and neutral effects on host growth. Notably, stronger competitive interactions among SynCom members conferred greater fitness benefits to the host, suggesting a trans-kingdom (plant-microbe) fitness trade-off. Finally, guided chemical screening, deletion knockout mutants, and targeted metabolomics identified and validated microbially released glutathione (GSH) as the necessary bioactive signal that coordinates the trans-kingdom fitness trade-off and improves plant growth under sulfur limitation.","PeriodicalId":9693,"journal":{"name":"Cell host & microbe","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145140953","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-26DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2025.09.010
Markus Lakemeyer, Rocco Latorre, Kristyna Blazkova, Hannah M. Wood, Dane D. Jensen, Nayab Shakil, Scott C. Thomas, Deepak Saxena, Yatendra Mulpuri, David Poolman, Paz Duran, Laura J. Keller, David E. Reed, Brian L. Schmidt, Néstor N. Jiménez-Vargas, Fangxi Xu, Alan E. Lomax, Nigel W. Bunnett, Matthew Bogyo
Protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) is a central regulator of intestinal barrier function, inflammation, and pain. Upregulated intestinal proteolysis and PAR2 signaling are implicated in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), conditions often associated with gut microbiome alterations. To identify potential bacterial regulators of PAR2 activity, we developed a functional assay for PAR2 processing to screen a library of diverse gut microbes. We identify multiple bacteria that secrete proteases capable of cleaving host PAR2. Using chemoproteomic profiling with a covalent irreversible inhibitor, we uncovered a previously uncharacterized Bacteroides fragilis serine protease 1 (Bfp1) and show that it cleaves and activates PAR2 in multicellular and murine models. PAR2 cleavage by Bfp1 disrupts the intestinal barrier, sensitizes nociceptors, and triggers colonic inflammation and abdominal pain. Collectively, our findings uncover Bfp1-mediated PAR2 processing as an axis of host-commensal interaction in the gut that has the potential to be targeted for therapeutic intervention in IBD or IBS.
{"title":"A Bacteroides fragilis protease activates host PAR2 to induce intestinal pain and inflammation","authors":"Markus Lakemeyer, Rocco Latorre, Kristyna Blazkova, Hannah M. Wood, Dane D. Jensen, Nayab Shakil, Scott C. Thomas, Deepak Saxena, Yatendra Mulpuri, David Poolman, Paz Duran, Laura J. Keller, David E. Reed, Brian L. Schmidt, Néstor N. Jiménez-Vargas, Fangxi Xu, Alan E. Lomax, Nigel W. Bunnett, Matthew Bogyo","doi":"10.1016/j.chom.2025.09.010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2025.09.010","url":null,"abstract":"Protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR<sub>2</sub>) is a central regulator of intestinal barrier function, inflammation, and pain. Upregulated intestinal proteolysis and PAR<sub>2</sub> signaling are implicated in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), conditions often associated with gut microbiome alterations. To identify potential bacterial regulators of PAR<sub>2</sub> activity, we developed a functional assay for PAR<sub>2</sub> processing to screen a library of diverse gut microbes. We identify multiple bacteria that secrete proteases capable of cleaving host PAR<sub>2</sub>. Using chemoproteomic profiling with a covalent irreversible inhibitor, we uncovered a previously uncharacterized <em>Bacteroides fragilis</em> serine protease 1 (Bfp1) and show that it cleaves and activates PAR<sub>2</sub> in multicellular and murine models. PAR<sub>2</sub> cleavage by Bfp1 disrupts the intestinal barrier, sensitizes nociceptors, and triggers colonic inflammation and abdominal pain. Collectively, our findings uncover Bfp1-mediated PAR<sub>2</sub> processing as an axis of host-commensal interaction in the gut that has the potential to be targeted for therapeutic intervention in IBD or IBS.","PeriodicalId":9693,"journal":{"name":"Cell host & microbe","volume":"100 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145140954","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-25DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2025.09.006
Sarah K. Munyoki, Julie P. Goff, Amanda Reshke, Erin Wilderoter, Nyasha Mafarachisi, Antonija Kolobaric, Yi Sheng, Steven J. Mullett, Gabrielle E. King, Jacob D. DeSchepper, Richard J. Bookser, Carlos A. Castro, Stacy L. Gelhaus, Mayara Grizotte-Lake, Kathleen E. Morrison, Anthony J. Zeleznik, Timothy W. Hand, Miguel A. Brieño-Enriquez, Eldin Jašarević
Infertility affects one in six people, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We show that the microbiota governs female reproductive longevity in mice. Germ-free mice have fewer primordial follicles, increased atresia, and ovarian fibrosis, leading to smaller litters, fewer offspring, and a shorter reproductive lifespan. Germ-free mice are born with a similar ovarian reserve but display excessive activation, impaired progression, and increased atresia during post-natal development. Microbiome colonization during a critical post-natal window rescues premature ovarian reserve loss by normalizing follicle kinetics and gene expression patterns. These changes parallel increased short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and SCFA administration mitigates ovarian dysfunction in germ-free mice. Similar oocyte dysfunction occurred in conventionally raised mice fed a high-fat diet, but additional dietary fiber helped preserve oocyte quality and embryo competence. Thus, host-microbe interactions shape female fertility, and microbiota-targeted interventions may offer strategies to address reproductive disorders.
{"title":"The microbiota extends the reproductive lifespan of mice by safeguarding the ovarian reserve","authors":"Sarah K. Munyoki, Julie P. Goff, Amanda Reshke, Erin Wilderoter, Nyasha Mafarachisi, Antonija Kolobaric, Yi Sheng, Steven J. Mullett, Gabrielle E. King, Jacob D. DeSchepper, Richard J. Bookser, Carlos A. Castro, Stacy L. Gelhaus, Mayara Grizotte-Lake, Kathleen E. Morrison, Anthony J. Zeleznik, Timothy W. Hand, Miguel A. Brieño-Enriquez, Eldin Jašarević","doi":"10.1016/j.chom.2025.09.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2025.09.006","url":null,"abstract":"Infertility affects one in six people, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We show that the microbiota governs female reproductive longevity in mice. Germ-free mice have fewer primordial follicles, increased atresia, and ovarian fibrosis, leading to smaller litters, fewer offspring, and a shorter reproductive lifespan. Germ-free mice are born with a similar ovarian reserve but display excessive activation, impaired progression, and increased atresia during post-natal development. Microbiome colonization during a critical post-natal window rescues premature ovarian reserve loss by normalizing follicle kinetics and gene expression patterns. These changes parallel increased short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and SCFA administration mitigates ovarian dysfunction in germ-free mice. Similar oocyte dysfunction occurred in conventionally raised mice fed a high-fat diet, but additional dietary fiber helped preserve oocyte quality and embryo competence. Thus, host-microbe interactions shape female fertility, and microbiota-targeted interventions may offer strategies to address reproductive disorders.","PeriodicalId":9693,"journal":{"name":"Cell host & microbe","volume":"99 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145134464","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}