Ma Haohan, Wang Kai, Jiang Changtao
Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Center for Obesity and Metabolic Disease Research, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and Remodeling, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
Cell Insight. 2025 Jul 12;4(5):100265. doi: 10.1016/j.cellin.2025.100265. eCollection 2025 Oct.
Bile acids are amphipathic sterol molecules regulated by both the host and gut microbiota, serving as classical mediators for deciphering host-microbiota interactions. Synthesized primarily in the liver and undergoing extensive structural modifications along the gastrointestinal tract, bile acids are dynamically shaped by diverse bile acid metabolic enzymes, especially from gut microbiota. Beyond their canonical detergent-like functions, bile acids act as receptor modulators, immune regulators, and microbiota sculptors, profoundly involved in regulating host metabolic processes, maintaining immune homeostasis, and contributing to metabolic disorders when dysregulated. The modifications of bile acids by microbial enzymes critically influence their functional diversity. However, despite the vast array of bile acid modifications observed, significant gaps remain in the systematic identification and characterization of microbial bile acid metabolic enzymes. This review underscores the urgency of exploring the biosynthetic pathways for the production of key bile acids and highlights its potential to advance precision therapeutic strategies targeting gut microbiota and their enzymatic machinery.
胆汁酸是由宿主和肠道微生物群共同调节的两亲性甾醇分子,是解读宿主-微生物群相互作用的经典介质。胆汁酸主要在肝脏中合成,并在胃肠道中经历广泛的结构修饰,由多种胆汁酸代谢酶动态塑造,尤其是来自肠道微生物群的酶。除了其典型的去污剂样功能外,胆汁酸还作为受体调节剂、免疫调节剂和微生物塑造者,深刻参与调节宿主代谢过程、维持免疫稳态,并在失调时导致代谢紊乱。微生物酶对胆汁酸的修饰严重影响其功能多样性。然而,尽管观察到大量的胆汁酸修饰,但在微生物胆汁酸代谢酶的系统鉴定和表征方面仍存在重大差距。本综述强调了探索关键胆汁酸生物合成途径的紧迫性,并突出了其推进针对肠道微生物群及其酶机制的精准治疗策略的潜力。