Reduction of Fumarate to Succinate Mediated by Fusobacterium varium

Tumor and intratumoral pathogen cascade-targeting photothermal nanotherapeutics for boosted immunotherapy of colorectal cancer

Clinical benefits of immunotherapy in colorectal cancer (CRC) are limited due to the low immunogenicity and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn) is discovered to colonize CRC tumors and dampen immunotherapy by fostering an immunosuppressive TME. Herein, a controllable "Shielding-deshielding" N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc)-derived photothermal nanotherapeutic is developed to mediate cascade targeting toward tumor and intratumoral Fn for enhanced photothermal-immunotherapy. This nanotherapeutic can in situ generate near infrared-II laser-activatable photothermal agent by reacting with endogenous hydrogen sulfide in CRC. The Schiff bond-tethered hyaluronic acid coating not only facilitates precise localization within CRC but shieldes GalNAc-mediated liver targeting, which can be deshielded upon a slightly acidic TME to anchor Fn by binding to its lectin Fap2. This cascade-targeting nanotherapeutic enables efficacious tumor accumulation and reinforces photothermal therapy (PTT) efficacy. Notably, PTT efficiently induces immunogenic cell death in CRC cells, leading to augmented immunogenicity and CD8+ T cell activation. Meanwhile, synchronous eradication of Fn facilitates M1 macrophage polarization, and promotes intratumoral infiltration of CD8+ T cell by reducing succinic acid level, thereby further boosting antitumor immunity against both primary and distant tumors. Overall, this study involving cascade targeting-reinforced PTT and intratumoral microorganism modulation offers new insight into effective CRC immunotherapy.

Fusobacterium nucleatum-derived succinic acid induces tumor resistance to immunotherapy in colorectal cancer

Immune checkpoint blockade therapy with anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) is a treatment for colorectal cancer (CRC). However, some patients remain unresponsive to PD-1 blockade. The gut microbiota has been linked to immunotherapy resistance through unclear mechanisms. We found that patients with metastatic CRC who fail to respond to immunotherapy had a greater abundance of Fusobacterium nucleatum and increased succinic acid. Fecal microbiota transfer from responders with low F. nucleatum, but not F. nucleatum-high non-responders, conferred sensitivity to anti-PD-1 mAb in mice. Mechanistically, F. nucleatum-derived succinic acid suppressed the cGAS-interferon-β pathway, consequently dampening the antitumor response by limiting CD8⁺ T cell trafficking to the tumor microenvironment (TME) in vivo. Treatment with the antibiotic metronidazole reduced intestinal F. nucleatum abundance, thereby decreasing serum succinic acid levels and resensitizing tumors to immunotherapy in vivo. These findings indicate that F. nucleatum and succinic acid induce tumor resistance to immunotherapy, offering insights into microbiota-metabolite-immune crosstalk in CRC.

Obese dogs exhibit different fecal microbiome and specific microbial networks compared with normal weight dogs

Canine obesity is a major health concern that predisposes dogs to various disorders. The fecal microbiome has been attracting attention because of their impact on energy efficiency and metabolic disorders of host. However, little is known about specific microbial interactions, and how these may be affected by obesity in dogs. The objective of this study was to investigate the differences in fecal microbiome and specific microbial networks between obese and normal dogs. A total of 20 beagle dogs (males = 12, body weight [BW]: 10.5 ± 1.08 kg; females = 8, BW: 11.3 ± 1.71 kg; all 2-year-old) were fed to meet the maintenance energy requirements for 18 weeks. Then, 12 beagle dogs were selected based on body condition score (BCS) and divided into two groups: high BCS group (HBCS; BCS range: 7-9, males = 4, females = 2) and normal BCS group (NBCS; BCS range: 4-6, males = 4, females = 2). In the final week of the experiment, fecal samples were collected directly from the rectum, before breakfast, for analyzing the fecal microbiome using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The HBCS group had a significantly higher final BW than the NBCS group (P < 0.01). The relative abundances of Faecalibacterium, Phascolarctobacterium, Megamonas, Bacteroides, Mucispirillum, and an unclassified genus within Ruminococcaceae were significantly higher in the HBCS group than those in the NBCS group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, some Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) modules related to amino acid biosynthesis and B vitamins biosynthesis were enriched in the HBCS group (P < 0.10), whereas those related to carbohydrate metabolism were enriched in the NBCS group (P < 0.10). Microbial network analysis revealed distinct co-occurrence and mutually exclusive interactions between the HBCS and NBCS groups. In conclusion, several genera related to short-chain fatty acid production were enriched in the HBCS group. The enriched KEGG modules in the HBCS group enhanced energy efficiency through cross-feeding between auxotrophs and prototrophs. However, further studies are needed to investigate how specific networks can be interpreted in the context of fermentation characteristics in the lower gut and obesity in dogs.

Targeting the succinate receptor effectively inhibits periodontitis

Periodontal disease (PD) is one of the most common inflammatory diseases in humans and is initiated by an oral microbial dysbiosis that stimulates inflammation and bone loss. Here, we report an abnormal elevation of succinate in the subgingival plaque of subjects with severe PD. Succinate activates succinate receptor-1 (SUCNR1) and stimulates inflammation. We detected SUCNR1 expression in the human and mouse periodontium and hypothesize that succinate activates SUCNR1 to accelerate periodontitis through the inflammatory response. Administration of exogenous succinate enhanced periodontal disease, whereas SUCNR1 knockout mice were protected from inflammation, oral dysbiosis, and subsequent periodontal bone loss in two different models of periodontitis. Therapeutic studies demonstrated that a SUCNR1 antagonist inhibited inflammatory events and osteoclastogenesis in vitro and reduced periodontal bone loss in vivo. Our study reveals succinate’s effect on periodontitis pathogenesis and provides a topical treatment for this disease.

Periodontitis is the most prevalent adult oral disease. Guo et al. show elevation of succinate in periodontitis, which aggravates the disease through the succinate receptor (SUCNR1). They developed a gel formulation of a small compound specifically blocking SUCNR1 to prevent and treat periodontitis by inhibiting dysbiosis, inflammation, and bone loss.

Bacteria associated with cockroaches: health risk or biotechnological opportunity?

Abstract

Cockroaches have existed for 300 million years and more than 4600 extant species have been described. Throughout their evolution, cockroaches have been associated with bacteria, and today Blattabacterium species flourish within specialized bacteriocytes, recycling nitrogen from host waste products. Cockroaches can disseminate potentially pathogenic bacteria via feces and other deposits, particularly members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, but also Staphylococcus and Mycobacterium species, and thus, they should be cleared from sites where hygiene is essential, such as hospitals and kitchens. On the other hand, cockroaches also carry bacteria that may produce metabolites or proteins with potential industrial applications. For example, an antibiotic-producing Streptomyces strain was isolated from the gut of the American cockroach Periplaneta americana. Other cockroach-associated bacteria, including but not limited to Bacillus, Enterococcus, and Pseudomonas species, can also produce bioactive metabolites that may be suitable for development as pharmaceuticals or plant protection products. Enzymes that degrade industrially relevant substrates, or that convert biomasses into useful chemical precursors, are also expressed in cockroach-derived bacteria and could be deployed for use in the food/feed, paper, oil, or cosmetics industries. The analysis of cockroach gut microbiomes has revealed a number of lesser-studied bacteria that may form the basis of novel taxonomic groups. Bacteria associated with cockroaches can therefore be dangerous or useful, and this review explores the bacterial clades that may provide opportunities for biotechnological exploitation.

Key points

• Members of the Enterobacteriaceae are the most frequently cultivated bacteria from cockroaches.

• Cultivation-independent studies have revealed a diverse community, led by the phyla Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes.

• Although cockroaches may carry pathogenic bacteria, most strains are innocuous and may be useful for biotechnological applications.