Gut microbiota mitigate the reproductive toxicity of silver nanoparticles through thiamine-derived metabolites
Abstract The environmental and health risks of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have driven the development of numerous engineering strategies to reduce the likelihood of exposure. Nonetheless, AgNP exposure is often inevitable, prompting a search for effective detoxification strategies at the organism...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62595-z |
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| author | Jing-Xi Gong Xin-Lei Wang Chen-Xin Lin Xin-Yuan Li Jun Wu Qiao-Guo Tan Liuyan Yang Ai-Jun Miao |
| author_facet | Jing-Xi Gong Xin-Lei Wang Chen-Xin Lin Xin-Yuan Li Jun Wu Qiao-Guo Tan Liuyan Yang Ai-Jun Miao |
| author_sort | Jing-Xi Gong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The environmental and health risks of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have driven the development of numerous engineering strategies to reduce the likelihood of exposure. Nonetheless, AgNP exposure is often inevitable, prompting a search for effective detoxification strategies at the organism level. Given the critical role of the gut microbiota in host health, we test its ability to mitigate the adverse effects of AgNPs by introducing various bacterial strains into the Caenorhabditis elegans gut and then comparing the nematode’s response with that of germ-free nematodes. Reproduction, the most sensitive toxicity endpoint tested herein, is significantly impaired by AgNPs but is rescued by colonization with Pseudomonas mendocina. Gene expression analyses reveal that this bacterium suppresses both the initiating and key events within the adverse outcome pathways triggered by AgNPs. Metabolomic profiling of gut bacteria and AgNP-exposed nematodes followed by verification with standard substances identifies two thiamine-derived metabolites, 4-methyl-5-thiazoleethanol and thiamine monophosphate, as pivotal in reducing the reproductive toxicity of AgNPs. Our study presents a promising approach to mitigate the adverse effects of nanoparticle exposure, through manipulation of the gut microbiota. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ab14404ff48c4a3c83d3666ad4b8a7b8 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-ab14404ff48c4a3c83d3666ad4b8a7b82025-08-20T03:05:06ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-08-0116111310.1038/s41467-025-62595-zGut microbiota mitigate the reproductive toxicity of silver nanoparticles through thiamine-derived metabolitesJing-Xi Gong0Xin-Lei Wang1Chen-Xin Lin2Xin-Yuan Li3Jun Wu4Qiao-Guo Tan5Liuyan Yang6Ai-Jun Miao7State Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Green Resource Recycling, School of the Environment, Nanjing UniversityState Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Green Resource Recycling, School of the Environment, Nanjing UniversityState Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Green Resource Recycling, School of the Environment, Nanjing UniversityState Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Green Resource Recycling, School of the Environment, Nanjing UniversityCollege of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural UniversityKey Laboratory of the Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems of Ministry of Education, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen UniversityState Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Green Resource Recycling, School of the Environment, Nanjing UniversityState Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Green Resource Recycling, School of the Environment, Nanjing UniversityAbstract The environmental and health risks of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have driven the development of numerous engineering strategies to reduce the likelihood of exposure. Nonetheless, AgNP exposure is often inevitable, prompting a search for effective detoxification strategies at the organism level. Given the critical role of the gut microbiota in host health, we test its ability to mitigate the adverse effects of AgNPs by introducing various bacterial strains into the Caenorhabditis elegans gut and then comparing the nematode’s response with that of germ-free nematodes. Reproduction, the most sensitive toxicity endpoint tested herein, is significantly impaired by AgNPs but is rescued by colonization with Pseudomonas mendocina. Gene expression analyses reveal that this bacterium suppresses both the initiating and key events within the adverse outcome pathways triggered by AgNPs. Metabolomic profiling of gut bacteria and AgNP-exposed nematodes followed by verification with standard substances identifies two thiamine-derived metabolites, 4-methyl-5-thiazoleethanol and thiamine monophosphate, as pivotal in reducing the reproductive toxicity of AgNPs. Our study presents a promising approach to mitigate the adverse effects of nanoparticle exposure, through manipulation of the gut microbiota.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62595-z |
| spellingShingle | Jing-Xi Gong Xin-Lei Wang Chen-Xin Lin Xin-Yuan Li Jun Wu Qiao-Guo Tan Liuyan Yang Ai-Jun Miao Gut microbiota mitigate the reproductive toxicity of silver nanoparticles through thiamine-derived metabolites Nature Communications |
| title | Gut microbiota mitigate the reproductive toxicity of silver nanoparticles through thiamine-derived metabolites |
| title_full | Gut microbiota mitigate the reproductive toxicity of silver nanoparticles through thiamine-derived metabolites |
| title_fullStr | Gut microbiota mitigate the reproductive toxicity of silver nanoparticles through thiamine-derived metabolites |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gut microbiota mitigate the reproductive toxicity of silver nanoparticles through thiamine-derived metabolites |
| title_short | Gut microbiota mitigate the reproductive toxicity of silver nanoparticles through thiamine-derived metabolites |
| title_sort | gut microbiota mitigate the reproductive toxicity of silver nanoparticles through thiamine derived metabolites |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62595-z |
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