• Lingyan Ma, Chenyang Hou, Hua Yang, Qu Chen, Wentao Lyu, Zhen Wang, Jianfeng Wang, and Yingping Xiao.
• State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Institute of Agro-product Safety and Nutrition, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China.
• Ann. Med. 2023 Jan 1; 55 (2): 22614772261477.

BackgroundInflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract that co-occurs with gut microbiota dysbiosis; however, its etiology remains unclear. MicroRNA (miRNA)-microbiome interactions play an essential role in host health and disease.MethodsTo investigate the gut microbiome and host miRNA profiles in colitis, we used a Dextran Sulfate Sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis (UC) model. Metagenomic sequencing and metabolome profiling were performed to explore typical microbiota and metabolite signatures in colitis, whereas mRNA and miRNA sequencing were used to determine differentially expressed miRNAs and their target genes in the inflamed colon.ResultsA total of 986 miRNAs were identified between the two groups, with 41 upregulated and 21 downregulated miRNAs in colitis mice compared to the control group. Notably, the target genes of these significantly altered miRNAs were primarily enriched in the immune and inflammation-related pathways. Second, LEfSe analysis revealed bacterial biomarkers distinguishing the two groups, with significantly higher levels of commonly encountered pathogens such as Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri in the UC group, whereas beneficial species such as Bifidobacterium pseudolongum were more abundant in the control group. Microbiota metabolites histamine, N-acetylhistamine, and glycocholic acid were found to be downregulated in colitis mice. Spearman correlation further revealed the potential crosstalk between the microbiota profile and colonic miRNA, revealing the possibility of microbiome-miRNA interactions involved in IBD development.ConclusionsOur data reveal the relationships between multi-omic features during UC and suggest that targeting specific miRNAs may provide new avenues for the development of effective miRNA-based therapeutics.

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