https://www.cell.com/cell-host-microbe/abstract/S1931-3128(24)00230-0
http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/0730/c90000-20199952.html
A team of researchers from Ruijin Hospital affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, BGI Research, and the Institute of Intelligent Medical Research under BGI Genomics has identified Meganomonas as potential obesity-causing bacteria and revealed the underlying mechanisms.
The research team conducted shotgun metagenomic sequencing on fecal samples from a cohort of 631 obese individuals and 374 normal-weight controls, identifying a Megamonas-dominated cluster of microbes enriched in the obese subjects. To unveil the mechanism behind the obesity-causing bacteria, the research team conducted further experiments using various models such as specific-pathogen-free (SPF) mice, germ-free (GF) mice, and small intestinal organoids, with M. rupellensis, a representative species of Megamonas, serving as the experimental feeding agent.
Animal experiments revealed that M. rupellensis had no significant effect on the body weight of SPF mice fed a normal diet, but it significantly promoted weight gain and fat accumulation in SPF mice on a high-fat diet. In the GF mouse model on a high-fat diet, M. rupellensis also significantly increased body weight and could markedly promote intestinal fatty acid transport and lipid absorption.
The team of researchers has also verified the ability of M. rupellensis to degrade inositol both in vitro and in vivo. Inositol can inhibit the efficiency of fatty acid transport. This suggests that the obesity-inducing effect of M. rupellensis may be mediated through the degradation of inositol.