Frontiers in Microbiology最新文献

{"title":"The control strategies for <i>E. coli</i> O157:H7 in food processing at the physical, chemical and biological levels.","authors":"Chenggong Xu, Zhongxiang Xin, Ruishen Yu, Jiaxin Li, Wenjia Dan, Jiangkun Dai","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2025.1598090","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1598090","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In recent years, the infectious diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms have become one of the most prominent public health issues, which seriously endangers people's lives and leads to significant economic losses. Studies have shown that the Shiga toxin produced by <i>Escherichia coli</i> O157:H7 (<i>E. coli</i> O157:H7) can cause severe diseases, such as hemorrhagic colitis, diarrhea, hemolytic uremic syndrome, etc. For the purpose of improving people's health level and quality of life, it is quite important and necessary to further deepen the research on the antibacterial methods for pathogenic bacteria. In this work, we mainly summarized the control strategies for <i>E. coli</i> O157:H7 in food processing from the physical, chemical and biological levels, and summarized their own antibacterial mechanisms as well as the advantages and weaknesses. In general, physical methods are effective in eliminating <i>E. coli</i> O157:H7, but some are costly, complex, and may compromise food quality. Chemical methods, such as acidic preservatives and chlorine-based disinfectants, can also pose health risks with long-term and excessive use. In contrast, biological methods, although somewhat expensive, tend to provide safer and more environmentally friendly approaches with effective antimicrobial effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":12466,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Microbiology","volume":"16 ","pages":"1598090"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12176737/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144332785","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unlocking the potential of engineered microbes in immunotoxin-based cancer therapy.","authors":"Quan Wang, Rui Cao, Yuxing Xie, Zhuoyi Zhang, Xianguo Li, Yan Zhang, Haolin Luo, Hui Yao, Ping Xue, Shuai Ni","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2025.1603671","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1603671","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Immunotoxins (ITs), as targeted cancer therapies, confront limitations including off-target effects, immunogenicity, and inadequate tumor penetration, hindering clinical translation. Advances in tumor microenvironment (TME) understanding and genetic engineering have enabled engineered microorganisms such as attenuated <i>Salmonella</i>, <i>E. coli</i> Nissle 1917, and modified eukaryotic platforms (e.g., yeast, microalgae) to colonize tumors and act as efficient hosts for IT production. By integrating ITs into these microbes and employing precise circuits (e.g., phage lysis systems, signal peptide fusions), controlled secretion of recombinant immunotoxins (RITs) can be achieved. Balanced-lethal systems further enhance plasmid stability for sustained therapeutic delivery. This review highlights strategies leveraging engineered microbes to amplify IT efficacy, exemplified by preclinical successes like <i>Salmonella</i>-delivered TGFα-PE38 and <i>E. coli</i>-expressed anti-PD-L1-PE38. However, challenges persist, including dynamic TME interactions, systemic infection risks, manufacturing complexities and regulatory uncertainties demand resolution. By synergizing microbial targeting with RIT, this approach offers transformative potential for cancer therapy, yet requires multidisciplinary innovation to address technical, safety, and regulatory barriers for clinical adoption.</p>","PeriodicalId":12466,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Microbiology","volume":"16 ","pages":"1603671"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12177715/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144332787","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Remediation of acetochlor-contaminated maize field soil using <i>Serratia odorifera</i> AC-1 fertilizer: effects on soil microbial communities.","authors":"Zhengyi Zhang, Zhenting Shi, Lining Zheng, Hao Zhang","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2025.1510157","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1510157","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Acetochlor is a chloroacetamide herbicide that is widely applied in corn fields. Nevertheless, the long-term usage of acetochlor in the soil leads to residues, which severely affect the germination of corn seeds and the growth of seedlings, and even exert an influence on the soil microbial community. Microbial degradation of acetochlor is the principal approach for restoring the soil microbial ecology. In this study, the <i>Serratia odorifera</i> AC-1 strain was isolated and identified from the soil for the degradation of residual acetochlor in the soil. To enhance the degradation efficiency, a solid microbial agent was prepared by using activated carbon as a carrier and the AC-1 strain at a 1:1 ratio and applied to the soil for degradation and remediation experiments. The content of the microbial cells in the solid microbial agent was 1.49 × 106 CFU/g after 120 days of preparation. The application of the AC-1 solid microbial agent significantly influenced the relative abundance of soil microbial communities (Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria), increasing the diversity of bacterial populations in the soil. The experimental results indicated that after the application of the AC-1 solid microbial agent, the plant height, stem diameter, and photosynthetic efficiency of corn seedlings under acetochlor stress were significantly elevated. When the application rate of the AC-1 solid microbial agent was 5.00 mg/kg, the stem diameter of corn increased by 56.4% compared with the control group. When the acetochlor concentration in the soil was 6.65 mg/kg, the DT50 value of the AC-1 solid microbial agent was 2.28 days. This study clarified the degradation mechanism and remediation capacity of the <i>Serratia odorifera</i> AC-1 strain in acetochlor-contaminated soil and proposed a new strategy to improve the stability and degradation efficiency of the microbial strain by optimizing the immobilization technology of the strain on activated carbon. This research provides a scientific basis and technical guidance for the future application of bioremediation technology in the field environment to remove pesticide residues, restore soil health, and enhance crop productivity.</p>","PeriodicalId":12466,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Microbiology","volume":"16 ","pages":"1510157"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12177894/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144332781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The 6-kilodalton peptide 1 of the family <i>Potyviridae</i>: small in size but powerful in function.","authors":"Liansheng Yu, Xayvangye Korxeelor, Ziyi Wang, Shuaifang Chang, Xue Jiang, Xiaoyun Wu, Xiaofei Cheng","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2025.1605199","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1605199","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The <i>Potyviridae</i> family is one of the most economically significant groups of plant RNA viruses, causing severe yield losses in agriculturally important crops. Among the viral proteins encoded by potyviruses, the 6-kilodalton peptide 1 (6K1) has emerged as a critical, albeit poorly understood player in viral pathogenesis. Despite its small size, 6K1 exhibits diverse functions, including facilitating the assembly of viral replication complex (VRC), altering host membrane permeability as a viroporin, and interacting with host factors to promote infection. This review synthesizes current knowledge on 6K1, focusing on its structural characteristics, evolutionary conservation, molecular interactions, and potential as a target for antiviral strategies. We further discuss unresolved questions surrounding its putative ion channel activity, polyprotein processing dynamics, and functional parallels with animal virus viroporins. Understanding 6K1's multifunctionality provides new insights into viral infection mechanisms and opens avenues for novel disease control approaches.</p>","PeriodicalId":12466,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Microbiology","volume":"16 ","pages":"1605199"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12176749/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144332784","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Active layer and permafrost microbial community coalescence increases soil activity and diversity in mixed communities compared to permafrost alone.","authors":"Stacey J Doherty, Alison K Thurston, Robyn A Barbato","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2025.1579156","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1579156","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Permafrost is experiencing rapid degradation due to climate warming. Microbial communities undergo significant compositional and functional shifts as permafrost thaws. Dispersal of microbial communities from the seasonally-thawed active layer soil into newly thawed permafrost may influence community assembly and increase carbon release from soils. We conducted a laboratory soil mixing study to understand how carbon utilization, heterotrophic respiration, and microbial community structure were affected when active layer and permafrost soils were mixed in varying proportions, as what is expected to occur when the terrain thaws. Active layer soil and permafrost collected from two sites in Alaska were mixed in five different ratios and incubated for 100 days at 10°C to reflect current maximum surface soil temperatures at these sites. Respiration rates were highest in the 100% active layer soils, averaging 19.8 μg C-CO₂ g^-1 dry soil d^-1 across both sites, and decreased linearly as the ratio of permafrost increased. Mixing of the two soil layers resulted in utilization of a more diverse group of carbon substrates compared to permafrost alone. Additionally, combining active layer and permafrost soils increased microbial diversity and resulted in communities resembling those from the active layer when soils were mixed in equal ratios. Microbial communities of the experimentally mixed soils did not resemble those collected from the transition zone. Understanding the effects of active layer-permafrost mixing on functional potential and soil organic matter decomposition will improve predictions of carbon-climate feedbacks as permafrost thaws in these regions.</p>","PeriodicalId":12466,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Microbiology","volume":"16 ","pages":"1579156"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12178574/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144332776","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Differences in the gut microbiota of the black-faced spoonbill (<i>Platalea minor</i>) across different regions in China.","authors":"Pengcheng Yang, Habib Bati, Erhui Feng, Jingyao Hu, Xian An, Rongzeng Tan, Xinyue Dou, Taoyue Chen, Yifan Tao, Shuqiang Liu, Liangliang Yang","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2025.1551391","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1551391","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The black-faced spoonbill (<i>Platalea minor</i>) is a critically endangered, first-class protected bird species in China, and its gut microbiota is thought to play a crucial role in the bird's ecological adaptability. However, regional variations in the gut microbiota of this species remain poorly understood. We aimed to investigate how the gut microbiota of <i>P. minor</i> differs across distinct regions in China to identify key factors influencing its composition and function. Fecal samples from black-faced spoonbills were collected in four regions of China (Shenzhen, Dongfang, Danzhou, and Xinying). We performed high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing and bioinformatics analyses to characterize the diversity and abundance of gut microbiota at various taxonomic levels (phylum and family). Across all regions, the gut microbiota of <i>P. minor</i> was dominated by the phyla Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. Nevertheless, significant regional differences in microbial composition and predicted functional pathways were observed. Notably, the Shenzhen population's microbiota showed the highest diversity in pathways related to light and chemical energy utilization. In contrast, the Danzhou population's microbiota exhibited a higher representation of pathways related to metabolism and cellular repair. These findings indicate that gut microbiota profiles differ substantially by region. Our results suggest that regional environmental and dietary factors shape the gut microbiota of <i>P. minor</i>, which in turn may influence the species' ecological adaptation. This study provides new insights into the ecological adaptability of the black-faced spoonbill and offers a scientific basis for developing effective conservation and habitat management strategies for this endangered species.</p>","PeriodicalId":12466,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Microbiology","volume":"16 ","pages":"1551391"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12178576/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144332779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated analysis of serum metabolomics and fecal microbiome in infants with necrotizing enterocolitis.","authors":"Zhi-Ying Lin, Shan-Shan He, Zi-Tong Mo, Xiao-Tian Liao, Zhou-Shan Feng, Juan Kong, Lu Zhu, Ying Li, Hui-Yuan Tan, Zhi-Wen Su, Chun-Hong Jia, Fan Wu","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2025.1584041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1584041","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a lethal gastrointestinal disorder in preterm infants, remains poorly understood in its pathology, and early diagnosis are critically limited. Multi-omics approaches present unprecedented opportunities to elucidate NEC pathogenesis and identify clinically translatable biomarkers.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Infants with Bell stage II-III NEC and gestational age-matched controls were enrolled. Serum/stool samples from NEC patients at acute (NEC-D) and recovery (NEC-R) phases, and controls (non-NEC) were collected. Fecal metagenomic sequencing and serum untargeted metabolomic profiling were performed. Clinical parameters were compared.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study comprised seven NEC and seven non-NEC infants. Baseline neonatal characteristics and maternal perinatal parameters showed no significant differences between NEC-D and non-NEC except for markedly lower leukocyte counts in NEC infants. Fecal metagenomics revealed severely diminished alpha diversity in NEC-D versus both non-NEC controls and NEC-R, characterized with lower Chao1 index. NEC-D exhibited elevated <i>Escherichia coli</i> relative abundance alongside reduced <i>Staphylococcus haemolyticus</i>, <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i>, and <i>Lactobacillus paracasei</i>. Correspondingly, KEGG functional gene analysis demonstrated impaired metabolism in NEC-D. Serum metabolomics identified significantly decreased ornithine, DL-arginine, L-threonine, leucine, and D-proline in NEC-D versus non-NEC. NEC-D also showed lower taurodeoxycholic acid, glycocholic acid, and chenodeoxycholic acid compared to NEC-R. Integrative analysis revealed a positive correlation between the metabolites D-proline and ornithine and the <i>Lactobacillus paracasei</i>, <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i>, and <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> abundance.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>NEC is characterized by gut microbiota dysbiosis with reduced diversity, altered functional gene expression, and disrupted host-microbiota metabolic crosstalk. The identified serum metabolite-microbiome correlations provide mechanistic insights into NEC pathogenesis and potential diagnostic biomarkers.</p>","PeriodicalId":12466,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Microbiology","volume":"16 ","pages":"1584041"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12176818/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144332780","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The impact of salt-tolerant plants on soil nutrients and microbial communities in soda saline-alkali lands of the Songnen plain.","authors":"Junjie Song, Xueting Guan, Haojun Cui, Lin Liu, Yan Li, Yuhua Li, Shurong Ma","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2025.1592834","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1592834","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Soil salinization poses a significant threat to agricultural development and ecosystem health. While phytoremediation is an effective approach, the mechanisms by which salt-tolerant plants mediate saline-alkali soil amelioration in the Songnen Plain remain unclear.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We selected seven common salt-tolerant plants from the Songnen Plain to compare soil nutrients and microbial communities between vegetated areas and bare alkali patches. Soil salinity, pH, nutrient content (TN, TP, TK), enzyme activities (Catalase, Cellulase, Saccharase, Urease), and microbial structure were analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Plant presence significantly reduced soil salinity and pH while increasing nutrient levels and enzyme activities, with SL (<i>Salix linearistipularis</i>) showing the most comprehensive improvement. Vegetation enhanced microbial abundance/diversity (bacteria and fungi), with EC (R² = 0.7308, <i>P</i> = 0.0001) and TN (R² = 0.5706, <i>P</i> = 0.0001) as key drivers of diversity changes. Microbial composition shifted markedly: beneficial phyla (e.g., Mortierellomycota, Acidobacteriota) increased, while pathogenic Chytridiomycota decreased. Community variations were primarily influenced by EC (R² = 0.8778, <i>P</i> = 0.001) and pH (R² = 0.8661, <i>P</i> = 0.001). Plants also promoted functional groups involved in carbon/nitrogen cycling.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>These findings demonstrate that salt-tolerant plants enhance soil fertility and restructure microbial communities in saline-alkali soils, with EC/pH and TN as critical regulatory factors. This study provides a scientific basis for sustainable saline land rehabilitation via targeted vegetation restoration.</p>","PeriodicalId":12466,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Microbiology","volume":"16 ","pages":"1592834"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12177719/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144332786","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Screening kinase inhibitors identifies MELK as a prime target against influenza virus infections through inhibition of viral mRNA splicing.","authors":"Xuanye Yang, Xili Feng, Qianyun Liu, Lele An, Zhongren Ma, Xiaoxia Ma","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2025.1600935","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1600935","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Influenza epidemics represent a significant threat to global public health, primarily caused by the influenza viruses A and B. Although antiviral drugs targeting the influenza virus, such as zanamivir and oseltamivir, are clinically available, the emergence of virus evolution and drug resistance necessitates the development of host-directed therapies. Protein kinases are essential components of host signaling pathways, including the orchestration of virus-host interactions. By screening a library of kinase inhibitors, we identified that OTS167, a pharmacological inhibitor of maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK), strongly inhibits the infections caused by multiple influenza virus subtypes in cell culture. This antiviral activity was further confirmed by treatment with another MELK pharmacological inhibitor, MELK-8a, and siRNA-mediated MELK gene silencing. In mice challenged with the influenza A virus, treatment with OTS167 inhibited both viral replication and lung inflammation. Mechanistically, inhibition of MELK by OTS167 downregulates the downstream effector CDK1, thereby inhibiting influenza virus M1 mRNA splicing to reduce viral replication and virus particle assembly. Finally, we demonstrated that combining OTS167 with zanamivir or oseltamivir resulted in additive antiviral activity. In conclusion, we identified MELK as a crucial host kinase that supports the influenza virus infection. OTS167, a pharmacological inhibitor of MELK currently undergoing phase II clinical trials for treating cancer, potently inhibits influenza virus infections <i>in vitro</i> and in mice, representing a promising lead for developing novel influenza antivirals.</p>","PeriodicalId":12466,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Microbiology","volume":"16 ","pages":"1600935"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12176825/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144332782","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Altered gut microbiota in erectile dysfunction patients: a pilot study.","authors":"Quanxin Su, Kenan Wang, Yayin Luo, Qizhen Tang","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2025.1530014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1530014","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>With the growing body of research on gut microbiota in recent years, various potential associations between gut microbiota and health or disease have been identified. However, the role of gut microbiota in Erectile dysfunction (ED) remains poorly understood. This study aimed to compare the changes in gut microbiota and metabolic pathways between ED males and healthy control group, contributing to the exploration of ED pathogenesis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Fecal samples were collected from 19 ED patients and 15 healthy controls (aged from 18 to 60 years), with erectile function assessed using the 5-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5). Macro-genomic sequencing was performed on the NovaSeq PE 150 platform to characterize the gut microbiota distribution among the groups.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>No significant differences in alpha diversity of the gut microbiota were observed between the ED and control groups. Additionally, Principal component analysis (PCA) analysis revealed no notable changes in microbiota composition between the two groups. A comparison of the abundance of key species showed that, in the ED group, species such as Ruminococcus gnavus, Thomasclavelia ramosa, Clostridium sp. AF32-12BH, Clostridium nexile, and Eubacterium siraeum were more abundant, while the abundance of Bacteroides intestinalis was decreased compared to the control group. Furthermore, pathways related to nucleotide and lipid metabolism were found to be highly expressed in the ED group.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This pilot study found a decrease in the abundance of Bacteroides intestinalis and an increase in the abundance of Ruminococcus gnavus in the ED sample. These microbiota changes may contribute to ED by promoting atherosclerosis and inhibiting the degradation of branched-chain amino acids. In the future, it may be possible to achieve better outcomes for ED patients by precisely regulating the gut microbiota.</p>","PeriodicalId":12466,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Microbiology","volume":"16 ","pages":"1530014"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12177716/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144332777","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}