PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Yuanqiang Zou

Publications and source records attributed to Yuanqiang Zou.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2026

Bacteroides cellulosilyticus-derived 2-hydroxyphenylacetic acid rectifies hepatic lipid homeostasis in MASLD by targeting the PPARγ-CD36 axis.

The gut microbiota plays an important role in the occurrence and development of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), but the specific molecular mechanisms involved have not been fully elucidated. In this study, human cohort studies were performed to identify that the relative abundance of Bacteroides cellulosilyticus (B. cellulosilyticus) was significantly decreased in patients with MASLD. Through the integration of metagenomic and metabolomic analyses, it was confirmed that B. cellulosilyticus and its metabolite 2-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (2HPAA) are key factors regulating the occurrence and development of MASLD. Single-cell sequencing and lipidomic analyses revealed that 2HPAA can enter the liver through the enterohepatic circulation to exert regulatory effects. Specifically, 2HPAA inhibits the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) signaling pathway, thereby suppressing the expression of the fatty acid transporter CD36. Meanwhile, 2HPAA regulates lipid metabolism in hepatocytes by significantly enhancing palmitate conversion efficiency and inhibiting CD36 palmitoylation. This dual regulatory effect on CD36 expression and palmitoylation can reduce lipid accumulation in hepatocytes and ultimately alleviate MASLD progression. These findings reveal the mechanism by which B. cellulosilyticus and 2HPAA alleviate MASLD by targeting the PPARγ-CD36 pathway. This work provides a new perspective for the study of gut microbiota-host interactions in regulating liver diseases.

PPAR gamma↗
PubMed2026

Alleviation of allergic rhinitis symptoms in an animal model by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BGI-N6.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a chronic inflammatory disease with rising global prevalence and a substantial public health burden. Current treatments have limited efficacy and tolerability, highlighting the need for new strategies. Probiotics represent a promising approach due to their ability to modulate gut microbiota and host immunity. Here, we investigated the preventive potential of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BGI-N6 in an OVA/ALUM-induced AR rat model. BGI-N6 administration alleviated AR symptoms and nasal mucosal pathology, reduced key allergic mediators, shifted serum immunoglobulin and cytokine levels toward normal, and restored the Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg balance. Metagenomic sequencing of cecal contents showed that these effects were accompanied by expansion of Bacteroidota-affiliated SCFA-producing taxa, restoration of microbial functional capacity, and identification of 41 core functional genes (KEGG Orthologues) consistently shifted across all three dose groups, with Bacteroides showing the strongest enrichment. Correlation analyses further connected these microbial shifts with immune parameters. These findings support BGI-N6 as a probiotic intervention for AR and implicate gut microbiota remodeling as a central correlate of probiotic-induced immunomodulation.

Animals↗
PubMed2026

Exploring the hypothetical role of Bacteroides species in depression progression: insights from metagenomic analysis.

Depression, a psychiatric disorder with significant morbidity and mortality, has a complex etiology. Recent advances in microbiome research have highlighted the potential role of fecal microbiota in depression pathogenesis. This study utilized shotgun metagenomic sequencing to compare the fecal microbiota of 28 depression patients and 26 healthy individuals. Significant differences in fecal microbiota composition were observed between the two groups. We generated 350 non-redundant high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) by binning and conducted comparisons between the depression and control groups. Notably, we found that the MAGs enriched in people with depression mostly belonged to Bacteroides, indicating a close link between Bacteroides abundance and the development of depression, suggesting that Bacteroides might be a potential culprit for depression. In the depression group, we found that the module of nitric oxide synthesis was remarkably enriched, and all Bacteroides MAGs contained genes annotated as nitric oxide synthase, suggesting that increased levels of Bacteroides may contribute to elevated nitric oxide synthesis. A distinct microbial signature consisting of Arthrobacter sp._U41, Bacillus cereus, Campylobacter rectus, and Pasteurella dagmatis accurately discriminates between depressed individuals and healthy controls, achieving an average area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.950. This research sheds light on the potential role of fecal microbiota in depression and highlights specific metabolic pathways and microbial markers for further investigation.IMPORTANCEThis research highlighted significant differences in the composition and function of fecal microbiota between individuals with depression and healthy individuals, particularly the enrichment of Bacteroides metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) in depression patients. The upregulation of the nitric oxide synthesis pathway associated with these MAGs belonging to Bacteroides in the gut of depression patients had also been observed. The selected bacterial biomarkers reliably differentiate depression cases from healthy controls with high diagnostic accuracy (mean area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.950). Our results suggest the importance of exploring microbial markers as potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets in managing depression.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Promises and pitfalls of long-read sequencing for resolving microbial complexity.

Long-read sequencing (LRS) has driven a transition in microbial genomics, overcoming the assembly fragmentation inherent to short-read sequencing. This review elucidates the impact of LRS across isolate genomics, metagenomics, and multi-omics domains. By spanning extensive repetitive regions, LRS facilitates the reconstruction of circular chromosomes and precisely resolves mobile genetic elements (MGEs). In metagenomics, LRS enables strain-level resolution, the recovery of circular metagenome-assembled genomes, and the precise localization of MGEs within host replicons. Furthermore, the single-molecule, amplification-free properties of LRS provide enhanced resolution of native epigenetic modifications and full-length transcriptomes. Despite these advancements, widespread implementation remains constrained by multidimensional challenges, including stringent high-molecular-weight DNA requirements, depth deficits, and computational overhead. Nevertheless, LRS is increasingly becoming the method of choice for isolate genomics and metagenomics. As detection technologies and algorithms progress, LRS will further improve our ability to decipher the structural and functional diversity of microbial ecosystems.

Metagenomics↗