Microbiome–host gene interactions: Role of Bifidobacterium metabolites in obesity | ||
| Microbes and Infectious Diseases | ||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 03 November 2025 | ||
| Document Type: Mini-review article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/mid.2025.424260.3226 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Aishwarya PM1; ARUN RAJA2; Nila Ganamurali3; Sarvesh Sabarathinam* 3 | ||
| 1Department of Community Medicine, Sree Balaji Medical college and hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India | ||
| 2Department of community medicine, Vinayaka mission medical College and hospital, Karaikal, Pondicherry, India | ||
| 3Helix Research Studio, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha University, 602105 Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Background: The gut microbiome (GM) plays a critical role in regulating host metabolism, and its dysbiosis has been closely associated with obesity. This study investigated how Bifidobacterium-derived metabolites influence obesity-related molecular pathways through host–gene interactions. Twenty-eight bioactive metabolites of Bifidobacterium were retrieved from the gutMGene database and analyzed using SwissTargetPrediction. Cross-comparison with 10,019 obesity-associated genes from GeneCards revealed 226 overlapping targets. Network and hub-gene analyses using STRING and Cytoscape (CytoHubba plugin) identified six key regulatory nodes: EGFR, PPARG, ESR1, STAT3, PTGS2, and TLR4. Functional enrichment indicated significant involvement of these genes in lipid metabolism, inflammatory signaling, and insulin resistance (adjusted p < 0.05). The results provide quantitative evidence supporting the role of Bifidobacterium-derived metabolites in modulating host metabolic networks implicated in obesity. These findings suggest that specific bacterial metabolites may serve as candidate molecules for obesity-targeted drug repurposing. Further experimental and clinical validation are warranted to clarify their mechanistic effects and translational potential. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| gut microbiome; Bifidobacterium; Obesity; drug repurposing | ||
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