Libo Liu | PubMed Health

PubMed2026

Remodeling of host lipid metabolism by Wolbachia strain wAlbB is associated with lipid accumulation and cardiolipin dysregulation in the Aedes aegypti fat body.

BACKGROUND: The intracellular symbiont Wolbachia, particularly the wAlbB strain, is a promising biocontrol agent against mosquito-borne diseases. Although Wolbachia infection is known to perturb host metabolism, the underlying mechanisms, especially those related to lipid metabolism, remain poorly understood. METHODS: We performed an integrated multi-level analysis of the Aedes aegypti fat body in uninfected and wAlbB-infected mosquitoes, combining histology, biochemistry, untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) lipidomics, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways enrichment analysis, reverse transcription quantitative PCR of key metabolic genes, and quantification of acetyl-coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) levels. RESULTS: wAlbB infection increased fat body wet weight and thickness, accompanied by accumulation of triglyceride and of lipid droplets. Lipidomic analysis further revealed extensive lipidome remodeling, with elevated free fatty acid, diglyceride, and triglyceride, but broad depletion of glycerophospholipids, particularly cardiolipin. These changes were supported by transcriptional alterations: upregulation of fatty acid synthase 1 and glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase 1, and downregulation of adipose triglyceride lipase and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1. Cardiolipin depletion correlated with downregulation of genes involved in its synthesis and remodeling, including phosphatidylglycerophosphate synthase and calcium-independent phospholipase A2γ. These lipid changes were also associated with accumulation of acetyl-CoA and NADH. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that wAlbB infection is associated with extensive lipid metabolic remodeling in the Aedes aegypti fat body, characterized by accumulation of neutral lipids and cardiolipin depletion, accompanied by transcriptional remodeling of key metabolic enzymes. This study establishes the fat body as a primary tissue-level hub for Wolbachia-associated lipid remodeling and provides a foundational framework for future mechanistic investigations into host-symbiont metabolic interactions.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Flavoromics-based profiling reveals taste and aroma differences between infant formula and breast milk.

Flavor differences between infant formula (IF) and breast milk (BM) are considered a potential factor affecting infants' acceptance of IF. This experiment employs flavoromics combined with multivariate statistical analysis to systematically compare the flavor profiles of IF and BM. Electronic tongue analysis and amino acid correlation revealed that IF was characterised by pronounced saltiness and umami richness, whereas BM exhibited greater bitterness and astringency. Volatile compound profiling identified five key flavor constituents in IF, predominantly aldehydes such as hexanal and pentanal. In contrast, BM contained a broader array of compounds-including acids, aldehydes, and esters-resulting in a more complex flavor profile. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG)-based metabolic pathway annotation, together with fatty acid profiling, suggested that some volatiles may be associated with lipid oxidation, Maillard reaction and sulfur-containing amino acid degradation pathways, offering a theoretical basis for the targeted optimisation of IF flavor.

Humans↗