Convergent evolution of oxidized sugar metabolism in commensal and pathogenic microbes in the inflamed gut
Abstract Inflammation-associated perturbations of the gut microbiome are well characterized, but poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that disparate taxa recapitulate the metabolism of the oxidized sugars glucarate and galactarate, utilizing enzymatically divergent, yet functionally equivalent, g...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56332-9 |
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| author | Sophia Levy Angela K. Jiang Maggie R. Grant Gabriela Arp Glory Minabou Ndjite Xiaofang Jiang Brantley Hall |
| author_facet | Sophia Levy Angela K. Jiang Maggie R. Grant Gabriela Arp Glory Minabou Ndjite Xiaofang Jiang Brantley Hall |
| author_sort | Sophia Levy |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Inflammation-associated perturbations of the gut microbiome are well characterized, but poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that disparate taxa recapitulate the metabolism of the oxidized sugars glucarate and galactarate, utilizing enzymatically divergent, yet functionally equivalent, gud/gar pathways. The divergent pathway in commensals includes a putative 5-KDG aldolase (GudL) and an uncharacterized ABC transporter (GarABC) that recapitulate the function of their non-homologous counterparts in pathogens. A systematic bioinformatic search for the gud/gar pathway in gut microbes identified 887 species putatively capable of metabolizing oxidized sugars. Previous studies showed that inflammation-derived nitrate, formed by nitric oxide reacting with superoxide, promotes pathogen growth. Our findings reveal a parallel phenomenon: oxidized sugars, also produced from reactions with nitric oxide, serve as alternative carbon sources for commensal microbes. Previously considered a pathogen virulence factor, oxidized sugar metabolism is also present in specific commensals and may contribute to their increased relative abundance in gastrointestinal inflammation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-92c5b2e635184b938a24443a3be09522 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-92c5b2e635184b938a24443a3be095222025-02-02T12:33:21ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-01-0116111310.1038/s41467-025-56332-9Convergent evolution of oxidized sugar metabolism in commensal and pathogenic microbes in the inflamed gutSophia Levy0Angela K. Jiang1Maggie R. Grant2Gabriela Arp3Glory Minabou Ndjite4Xiaofang Jiang5Brantley Hall6Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College ParkCenter for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Maryland, College ParkDepartment of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College ParkDepartment of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College ParkDepartment of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College ParkNational Library of Medicine, National Institutes of HealthDepartment of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College ParkAbstract Inflammation-associated perturbations of the gut microbiome are well characterized, but poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that disparate taxa recapitulate the metabolism of the oxidized sugars glucarate and galactarate, utilizing enzymatically divergent, yet functionally equivalent, gud/gar pathways. The divergent pathway in commensals includes a putative 5-KDG aldolase (GudL) and an uncharacterized ABC transporter (GarABC) that recapitulate the function of their non-homologous counterparts in pathogens. A systematic bioinformatic search for the gud/gar pathway in gut microbes identified 887 species putatively capable of metabolizing oxidized sugars. Previous studies showed that inflammation-derived nitrate, formed by nitric oxide reacting with superoxide, promotes pathogen growth. Our findings reveal a parallel phenomenon: oxidized sugars, also produced from reactions with nitric oxide, serve as alternative carbon sources for commensal microbes. Previously considered a pathogen virulence factor, oxidized sugar metabolism is also present in specific commensals and may contribute to their increased relative abundance in gastrointestinal inflammation.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56332-9 |
| spellingShingle | Sophia Levy Angela K. Jiang Maggie R. Grant Gabriela Arp Glory Minabou Ndjite Xiaofang Jiang Brantley Hall Convergent evolution of oxidized sugar metabolism in commensal and pathogenic microbes in the inflamed gut Nature Communications |
| title | Convergent evolution of oxidized sugar metabolism in commensal and pathogenic microbes in the inflamed gut |
| title_full | Convergent evolution of oxidized sugar metabolism in commensal and pathogenic microbes in the inflamed gut |
| title_fullStr | Convergent evolution of oxidized sugar metabolism in commensal and pathogenic microbes in the inflamed gut |
| title_full_unstemmed | Convergent evolution of oxidized sugar metabolism in commensal and pathogenic microbes in the inflamed gut |
| title_short | Convergent evolution of oxidized sugar metabolism in commensal and pathogenic microbes in the inflamed gut |
| title_sort | convergent evolution of oxidized sugar metabolism in commensal and pathogenic microbes in the inflamed gut |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56332-9 |
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