Commensal-derived acetylcholine enhances mucosal immune education - PubMed
4 hours ago
- #immune education
- #acetylcholine
- #microbiota
- The microbiota produces diverse bioactive small molecules, but GPCRome-wide bioactivities from in vivo metabolomes are not fully understood due to technical challenges.
- A study used multiplexed GPCR screening to compare GPCR activation from in vivo (in monoassociated germ-free mice) and in vitro commensal metabolomes, revealing distinct patterns due to host-mediated degradation, microbial metabolic reprogramming, and dietary biotransformation.
- Multiple commensal strains, including certain Bifidobacterium and Pediococcus, were found to produce acetylcholine (ACh) in vivo by converting dietary choline, with specific bacterial enzymes identified for this process.
- Mice colonized with ACh-producing B. breve showed enhanced intestinal IgA production, altered microbiota composition, and increased resistance to enteric infections, highlighting a diet-microbiome-host axis that strengthens mucosal immune defenses.