Specificities of chemosensory receptors in the human gut microbiota

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Xu, Wenhao; Khayrova, Ekaterina Jalomo -; Gumerov, Vadim M.; Ross, Patricia A.; Kobel, Tania S.; Schindler, Daniel; Bange, Gert; Zhulin, Igor B.; Sourjik, Victor
• 署名单位: Max Planck Society; Philipps University Marburg; University System of Ohio; Ohio State University; University System of Ohio; Ohio State University
• 刊物名称: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0027-14739
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2508950122
• 发表日期: 2025-09-02
• 关键词: chemotaxis; chemoreceptors; domains; stress

摘要

The human gut is rich in metabolites and harbors a complex microbial community, yet surprisingly little is known about the spectrum of chemical signals detected by the large variety of sensory receptors present in the gut microbiome. Here, we systematically mapped the ligand specificities of selected extracytoplasmic sensory domains from twenty members of the human gut microbiota, with a primary focus on the abundant and physiologically important class of Clostridia. Twenty- five metabolites from different chemical classes-including amino acids, nucleobase derivatives, amines, indole, and carboxylates-were identified as specific ligands for fifteen sensory domains from nine bacterial species, which represent all three major functional classes of transmembrane receptors: chemotaxis receptors, histidine kinases, and enzymatic sensors. We have further characterized the specificity and evolution of ligand binding to Cache superfamily sensors specific for lactate, dicarboxylic acids, and for uracil and short- chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Structural and biochemical analysis of the dCache sensor of uracil and SCFAs revealed that its two different ligand types bind at distinct sensory modules. Overall, combining experimental identification with computational analyses, we were able to the eleven gut commensal genomes from our set, with carboxylic acids representing the for lactate and formate, indicating a particular importance of these metabolites in the human gut microbiota and consistent with their observed growth- promoting effects on selected bacterial commensals.