ISME communicationsPub Date : 2026-05-06eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/ismeco/ycag103
{"title":"Correction to: Microorganisms in the phyllosphere of Norway spruce controlling nitrous oxide dynamic.","authors":"","doi":"10.1093/ismeco/ycag103","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/ismeco/ycag103","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/ismeco/ycaf196.].</p>","PeriodicalId":73516,"journal":{"name":"ISME communications","volume":"6 1","pages":"ycag103"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13147450/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147847087","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ISME communicationsPub Date : 2026-04-16eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/ismeco/ycag084
Milena D Campaña, Daniela Rosero-López, María de Lourdes Torres, Daniel Escobar-Camacho, J L Weissman, Juan José Guadalupe, Darío X Ramírez-Villacís, Jordan Karubian, Andrea C Encalada
{"title":"Spatiotemporal intermittence effect on periphyton microbial communities in a tropical drying river network.","authors":"Milena D Campaña, Daniela Rosero-López, María de Lourdes Torres, Daniel Escobar-Camacho, J L Weissman, Juan José Guadalupe, Darío X Ramírez-Villacís, Jordan Karubian, Andrea C Encalada","doi":"10.1093/ismeco/ycag084","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/ismeco/ycag084","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Drying river networks (DRNs) are globally expanding ecosystems where hydrological intermittence, including surface-flow cessation and habitat fragmentation, profoundly shapes biodiversity, ecological functions, and biogeochemical processes. Despite growing knowledge, the role of microbial communities inhabiting periphyton in tropical DRNs remains poorly understood. Here, we conducted the first spatiotemporal metabarcoding assessment (16S & 18S V4 amplicon sequencing) of bacteria, phototrophs, and fungi in stream periphyton across the Cube Drying River Network, located in Ecuador's Chocó-Darién biodiversity hotspot. We sampled 20 reaches spanning perennial and intermittent sites during six campaigns across an intermittence gradient. Microbial α-diversity increased with drying, peaking at the highest intermittence (45%), with phototrophs and fungi exhibiting significant gains compared to wetter phases. Community β-diversity declined as intermittence intensified, indicating homogenization of assemblages under sustained hydric stress and restricted dispersal due to disconnection of surface flow. Variation partitioning showed that major dissolved constituents (e.g., Ca<sup>2+</sup>, Mg<sup>2+</sup>, NO₃<sup>-</sup>, TOC) explained ~6% of compositional shifts, while environmental variables and trace elements accounted for smaller fractions. Co-occurrence network analyses revealed that interactions among microbial groups intensified with drying, culminating in highly connected yet low-modularity networks, which suggests reduced resilience under prolonged intermittence. Our results contrast with patterns reported in temperate and arid systems, where drying typically reduces microbial diversity, underscoring the particular dynamics of tropical DRNs, which are dominated by isolated pools and incomplete drying. These findings underscore the role of periphyton as critical microbial hubs that regulate ecosystem functioning under fluctuating flow regimes and emphasize the urgent need to integrate microbial dynamics into global assessments of river network resilience in the face of climate change.</p>","PeriodicalId":73516,"journal":{"name":"ISME communications","volume":"6 1","pages":"ycag084"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13137328/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147847104","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ISME communicationsPub Date : 2026-04-16eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/ismeco/ycag085
Xiaoli Chen, Miaoxiao Wang, Laipeng Luo, Liyun An, Xiaonan Liu, Yong Nie, Xiao-Lei Wu
{"title":"Substrate toxicity drives successive range expansions opposing spatial intermixing in cross-feeding consortia.","authors":"Xiaoli Chen, Miaoxiao Wang, Laipeng Luo, Liyun An, Xiaonan Liu, Yong Nie, Xiao-Lei Wu","doi":"10.1093/ismeco/ycag085","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/ismeco/ycag085","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Spatial organization plays a critical role in shaping microbial community structure and function, influencing ecological stability, resource utilization, and evolutionary dynamics. Microbial interactions such as competition and cooperation are key drivers of spatial patterning, yet the environmental factors modulating these interactions remain incompletely understood. Here, we investigated how toxic substrates influence the spatial organization of synthetic microbial communities engaged in metabolic cross-feeding. Using a synthetic <i>Pseudomonas stutzeri</i> consortium consisting of the detoxifier and consumer that cooperatively degrade the toxic compound salicylate, we found that increasing the substrate concentration leads to a distinct shift in spatial organization: the detoxifier increasingly dominates the outer periphery of the expanding colony, forming a \"detoxifier-first\" succession pattern. Mathematical modeling further revealed that this spatial arrangement emerges from substrate toxicity, which selectively favors the detoxifier. Substrate toxicity inhibits consumer proliferation. However, the detoxifier, capable of degrading the substrate, locally reduces toxicity and creates a protective microenvironment that enables nearby consumer cells to survive and grow. In return, the consumer provides essential final products that support the growth and expansion of the detoxifier. This reciprocal interaction establishes a directional dynamic in which the detoxifier, favored by its detoxification capability, colonizes first, paving the way for subsequent consumer proliferation. Our findings demonstrate that substrate toxicity is a crucial environmental factor shaping spatial organization and diversity in microbial communities. This study highlights the importance of considering both metabolic interactions and substrate properties in understanding microbial ecology.</p>","PeriodicalId":73516,"journal":{"name":"ISME communications","volume":"6 1","pages":"ycag085"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13137332/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147847126","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ISME communicationsPub Date : 2026-04-03eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/ismeco/ycag053
Laura M Kaminsky, Javad Sadeghi, Emily Grandinette, Terrence H Bell
{"title":"The adaptation chip: repurposing the principles of the ichip for guiding in situ experimental evolution.","authors":"Laura M Kaminsky, Javad Sadeghi, Emily Grandinette, Terrence H Bell","doi":"10.1093/ismeco/ycag053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/ismeco/ycag053","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Soil microbial ecosystems are complex and difficult to replicate in laboratory settings. It is often unclear which pressures most strongly shape microbial survival and evolution in situ, and new methods are needed to intersect the manipulative power of the lab with the reality of field environments. One recent innovation was the \"isolation chip,\" in which many new microbial isolates could be cultured on agar within a buried diffusion chamber while exposed to environmental inputs through fine-pored membranes. Here, we created a modified version of this device containing biologically-cleared soil instead of agar, to trial an in situ reverse ecology experimental evolution approach. Using these \"adaptation chips (aChips)\" we exposed populations of two different soil-dwelling bacteria (<i>Priestia megaterium</i> and <i>Streptomyces lydicus</i>) to several farm soils in the Northeast US for up to two years, documenting mutations arising in the evolving populations. While evolution was remarkably slow in the field, <i>P. megaterium</i> populations accumulated many mutations pre-burial during aChip construction which seemingly reflected zinc limitation in the aChip carrier soil. Although post-burial mutations were observed in both <i>P. megaterium</i> and <i>S. lydicus</i> populations, they remained at low frequency and did not display parallelism between aChips buried at the same sites, indicating a lack of strong positive selection and/or limited generations of population growth within the aChip. We suggest several improvements to aChip design to facilitate greater evolutionary progression, including a larger within-aChip soil volume and fewer cells initially secured inside the aChip.</p>","PeriodicalId":73516,"journal":{"name":"ISME communications","volume":"6 1","pages":"ycag053"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13064666/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147679153","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ISME communicationsPub Date : 2026-03-28eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/ismeco/ycag083
Rodrigo G Taketani, Ian M Clark, Payton T O Yau, Li Liu, Fangbo Zhang, Gye-Ryeong Bak, Catriona M A Thompson, J Miguel Bonnin, Helen Stewart, Jacob G Malone, Susan Jones, Nicola Holden, Mathew J Ryan, Timothy H Mauchline
{"title":"Host plant selects bacterial rhizosphere microbiome function whereas community structure is determined by soil legacy.","authors":"Rodrigo G Taketani, Ian M Clark, Payton T O Yau, Li Liu, Fangbo Zhang, Gye-Ryeong Bak, Catriona M A Thompson, J Miguel Bonnin, Helen Stewart, Jacob G Malone, Susan Jones, Nicola Holden, Mathew J Ryan, Timothy H Mauchline","doi":"10.1093/ismeco/ycag083","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/ismeco/ycag083","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The drivers between host plant, associated rhizosphere microbiome functions, and related plant health implications are complex and a field of continuous development. Furthermore, understanding of the interplay between soil, plant, and microbiome across different plant species and contrasting geographical areas is scarce. The United Kingdom (UK) Crop Microbiome Cryobank project, the world's first open crop/soil microbiome resource can fill this research gap. It utilizes contrasting UK soil types, with comprehensive environmental and agronomic metadata and has generated associated rhizosphere and bulk soil microbiome information for six crops (wheat, barley, oats, fava beans, oilseed rape, and sugar-beet) including a bacterial culture collection and 16S rRNA gene datasets. Here, using functional and taxonomic data from 24 000 bacterial cultures and 315 16S rRNA gene metabarcoded soil libraries, we show that geographical location and soil environment primarily influence the phylogeny of rhizosphere bacterial communities, whereas crop genotype is key in determining the function of associated rhizosphere microbiota. Sugar-beet and oilseed rape predominantly select for drought tolerant microbes, barley for Zn-solubilizing microbes and fava bean has a reduced selection of N-mineralizing microbes. These findings emphasize the need to consider the host plant's developmental requirements and edaphic factors for successful deployment of microbiome facilitated agriculture.</p>","PeriodicalId":73516,"journal":{"name":"ISME communications","volume":"6 1","pages":"ycag083"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13137329/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147847113","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Facultative mutualism between <i>Paramecium</i> and the intracellular <i>Rickettsiales</i> bacterium <i>Megaera</i> mediated by a horizontally acquired biotin operon.","authors":"Michele Giovannini, Leandro Gammuto, Tania Alonso-Vásquez, Natalia Gogoleva, Greta Bellinzona, Alexey Potekhin, Giulio Petroni, Michele Castelli","doi":"10.1093/ismeco/ycag079","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/ismeco/ycag079","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The <i>Rickettsiales</i> are an alphaproteobacterial lineage engaging in ancient associations with a variety of eukaryotic hosts and with a wide spectrum of effects. They include vector-borne pathogens, as well as <i>Wolbachia</i>, which ranges from a reproductive manipulator to a mutualist in arthropods and nematodes. The majority of <i>Rickettsiales</i> are associated with aquatic protists, but these interactions are poorly understood. Here, we explored by dual RNA-Seq the effect of the host-generalist <i>Rickettsiales</i> bacterium <i>Megaera polyxenophila</i> on the protist <i>Paramecium primaurelia</i>. <i>Megaera</i> induces substantial changes in host gene expression, in particular, increased expression levels of certain cell replication-related functions, consistent with the higher growth observed in previous experiments. Conversely, the co-occurring reduction of catabolism and energy metabolism can be explained by the capability of the bacterium to efficiently exert the same pathways also for the host's benefit. Therefore, <i>Megaera</i> likely behaves as a facultative mutualist, consistent with its predicted ability to provide the host with Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and biotin, the latter synthesized, thanks to a recently horizontally acquired operon. At the same time, this bacterium expresses several genes involved in host cell invasion and possibly toxicity. Accordingly, it is envisioned that the overall effect of <i>Megaera</i> on its host is rather plastic, being the fine-tuned sum of supportive and parasitic actions, likely resulting in flexibility according to host and symbiont genotypes and environmental conditions, and subjected to evolutionary changes. Such flexibility may also explain the broad host range of <i>Megaera</i> and, from a more general perspective, hints for shared traits and analogies among other protist-associated <i>Rickettsiales</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":73516,"journal":{"name":"ISME communications","volume":"6 1","pages":"ycag079"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13134042/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147824326","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ISME communicationsPub Date : 2026-03-27eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/ismeco/ycag077
William T Scott, Enden Dea Nataya, Clara Belzer, Peter J Schaap
{"title":"Metabolic modeling unveils potential probiotic roles of <i>Flavonifractor plautii</i> in reshaping the Western gut microbiota landscape.","authors":"William T Scott, Enden Dea Nataya, Clara Belzer, Peter J Schaap","doi":"10.1093/ismeco/ycag077","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/ismeco/ycag077","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Flavonifractor plautii</i>, a prevalent gut commensal, uniquely combines flavonoid degradation with the capacity to produce health-promoting short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), notably butyrate and propionate. However, its metabolic pathways, ecological roles, and health impacts remain poorly characterized. To explore its probiotic potential and ecological functions, we developed a genome-scale metabolic model, <i>iFP655</i>, using automated reconstruction, deep-learning-based gap-filling, thermodynamic constraints, and transcriptomics. The <i>iFP655</i> model substantially improved the predictions of growth rates and SCFA profiles compared to previous models. Simulations identified acetyl-CoA pathways as the preferred route for butyrate production, whereas the energetically costly lysine pathway remained inactive despite robust gene expression. Propionate synthesis occurred primarily via the methylmalonyl-CoA pathway. Community metabolic modeling with representative species of a Western minimal gut microbiota highlighted <i>F. plautii</i>'s contributions to enhanced SCFA production, especially butyrate, amino acid metabolism, and syntrophic interactions driven by dietary substrates. Our findings indicate that diet-driven syntrophy significantly shapes microbial community structure and function, underscoring the ecological importance of <i>F. plautii</i> in gut microbial interactions and highlighting its potential as a probiotic candidate to beneficially modulate gut microbiota through dietary interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":73516,"journal":{"name":"ISME communications","volume":"6 1","pages":"ycag077"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13134046/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147824322","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ISME communicationsPub Date : 2026-03-27eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/ismeco/ycag080
Ana Carolina de Araújo Butarelli, Francielli Vilela Peres, Vivian Helena Pellizari, Amanda Gonçalves Bendia
{"title":"Hot life in Antarctica: a novel metabolically versatile <i>Pyrodictiaceae</i> genus thriving at a volcanic-cryosphere-marine interface.","authors":"Ana Carolina de Araújo Butarelli, Francielli Vilela Peres, Vivian Helena Pellizari, Amanda Gonçalves Bendia","doi":"10.1093/ismeco/ycag080","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/ismeco/ycag080","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Deception Island fumaroles in Antarctica represent rare environments where extreme heat intersects with cryospheric and marine conditions, creating remarkable environmental gradients. From the near-boiling sediments, we reconstructed a high-quality metagenome-assembled genome affiliated with the <i>Pyrodictiaceae</i>. Phylogenomic analyses revealed that this genome, proposed to represent Ca. Pyroantarcticum pellizari, forms a distinct lineage separated from known genera in the family. Functional annotation uncovered a versatile metabolic repertoire, including pathways for sulfur and nitrogen cycling, peptide and amino acid transport, and mixotrophic energy conservation. Stress-response systems such as reverse gyrase, thermosome, and small heat-shock proteins were complemented by lineage-specific genes related to membrane stability, metal detoxification, and <i>Pyrodictiaceae</i>-specific cannulae. These adaptations likely support survival under sharp temperature gradients, hydrogen sulfide emissions, and high metal concentrations at the volcanic-cryosphere-marine interface. Our findings expand the phylogenetic and ecological scope of <i>Pyrodictiaceae</i>, highlighting Antarctic marine volcanoes as unique refuges for hyperthermophiles and as valuable models for investigating life's habitability under extreme temperatures.</p>","PeriodicalId":73516,"journal":{"name":"ISME communications","volume":"6 1","pages":"ycag080"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13140500/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147847118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ISME communicationsPub Date : 2026-03-26eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/ismeco/ycag063
Aurora Xolalpa-Aroche, Haydeé Contreras-Peruyero, Enrique J Delgado-Suárez, David I Hernández-Mena, Wilson I Moguel-Chin, Jose F Rivero-Cruz, Rodrigo A Velarde, Elizabeth Ortiz-Vázquez, Blanca E Rivero-Cruz, Jose Abel Lovaco-Flores, Lorena Rodríguez Orduña, Cuauhtémoc Licona-Cassani, Francisco Barona-Gómez, Nelly Sélem-Mojica
{"title":"Genome-resolved metagenomics reveals a phylogenetically cohesive <i>Acetilactobacillus</i>-like species complex dominating stingless bee pot honey.","authors":"Aurora Xolalpa-Aroche, Haydeé Contreras-Peruyero, Enrique J Delgado-Suárez, David I Hernández-Mena, Wilson I Moguel-Chin, Jose F Rivero-Cruz, Rodrigo A Velarde, Elizabeth Ortiz-Vázquez, Blanca E Rivero-Cruz, Jose Abel Lovaco-Flores, Lorena Rodríguez Orduña, Cuauhtémoc Licona-Cassani, Francisco Barona-Gómez, Nelly Sélem-Mojica","doi":"10.1093/ismeco/ycag063","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/ismeco/ycag063","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pot honey, the honey produced by stingless bees, is valued for its antimicrobial capacity, which may be influenced by its microbial content. While Lactobacillaceae species are commonly associated with honeybees and honey microbiomes, most studies have focused on <i>Apis mellifera</i>, leaving pot honey microbial diversity largely unexplored. We present the first pot honey shotgun metagenomic analysis from bee species <i>Melipona beecheii</i> and <i>Scaptotrigona mexicana.</i> We reconstructed 24 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), 15 of which lacked close matches to any described species, showing [Formula: see text]81% Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI) to available reference genomes. Phylogenetic analyses resolved these MAGs into four well-defined clades (intraclade ANI [Formula: see text], interclade ANI [Formula: see text]), consistent with four novel species within the family Lactobacillaceae. GTDB-Tk classification placed MAG clades 1 and 2 closest to <i>Nicoliella</i>, and clades 3 and 4 closest to <i>Acetilactobacillus</i>. We validated the presence of these lineages in honey by sequencing three isolates that clustered within MAG clade 2. Aminoacid similarity (AAI/cAAI) indicates the presence of two genus-level lineages: one occupying a transitional genomic space near <i>Nicoliella</i>, and a second representing an undescribed genus. The genomic similarity of our MAGs and isolates to those from pot honey or larval food in Malaysia, Brazil, and Australia suggests these taxa are closely associated with stingless bees and may contribute to honey properties. By reducing the genomic underrepresentation of evolutionarily divergent sister clades related to <i>Nicoliella</i> and <i>Acetilactobacillus</i>, our genome-resolved analyses reveal a globally distributed, phylogenetically cohesive Lactobacillaceae species complex dominating pot honey.</p>","PeriodicalId":73516,"journal":{"name":"ISME communications","volume":"6 1","pages":"ycag063"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13134047/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147824363","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ISME communicationsPub Date : 2026-03-26eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/ismeco/ycag075
Rebecca Christensen, Yu Han Daisy Wang, Markus Arnoldini, Jonas Cremer
{"title":"Abundance-weighted pathway mapping demonstrates family-level structure of butyrate and propionate production across the human gut microbiome.","authors":"Rebecca Christensen, Yu Han Daisy Wang, Markus Arnoldini, Jonas Cremer","doi":"10.1093/ismeco/ycag075","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/ismeco/ycag075","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fermentation products released by bacteria in the large intestine, such as butyrate and propionate, play central roles in host physiology and health. While the metabolic pathways producing these short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are well-characterized, less is known about their relative prevalence across hosts and gut conditions. Here, we introduce a genome-resolved, abundance-weighted bioinformatics framework that integrates pathway-based gene identification with extensive literature validation to systematically quantify the potential for butyrate and propionate production across bacterial species and human gut microbiomes. By comparing pathway predictions against over 700 experimentally characterized strains, we demonstrate high concordance with reported metabolic phenotypes, validating our approach beyond prior purely computational studies. Weighted by species abundance across ~18 000 metagenomic samples, we find that dominant gut taxa disproportionately drive SCFA production, with butyrate pathways enriched in Bacillota and propionate pathways in Bacteroidota. This abundance-weighted analysis reveals that pathway presence is well conserved at the family level, highlighting the ecological relevance of dominant taxa for community-level fermentation potential. Our results further show pronounced inter-individual variation and associations with age, birthing method, and inflammatory bowel disease, emphasizing how shifts in microbiota composition influence SCFA availability. By combining pathway-level resolution, abundance-weighted inference, and literature-based validation, our framework provides a robust, scalable approach to link microbial functional potential with host-relevant outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":73516,"journal":{"name":"ISME communications","volume":"6 1","pages":"ycag075"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13134039/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147824370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}