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Distinctive metabolic disturbances associated with redox homeostasis, nervous and hormonal functions during gut microbial enrichment upon polystyrene microplastic exposure
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Researchers tracked gut microbial enrichment, virome shifts, and metabolomic changes in organisms exposed to polystyrene microplastics, finding Eubacteriales-dominated dysbiosis accompanied by colitis. Microplastic exposure activated polyamine synthesis pathways, altered serotonin and thyroxine metabolism, and increased cholesterol-derived hormone synthesis, revealing complex hormonal and neurochemical disruption.
Microplastic-induced gut microbial enrichment was dominated by bacteria within Eubacteriales, correlated with the virome, and accompanied by colitis. The polyamine synthetic pathway was activated to maintain glutathionylspermidine homeostasis, concurrent with decreases in pathways involved in the production of energy and reactive oxygen species under microplastic exposure. Tryptophan-serotonin, phenylalanine-phenylethylamine, and tyrosine-thyroxine pathways increased, whereas tryptophan-kynurenine, tryptophan-indole, and tyrosine-tyramine pathways decreased under microplastic exposure. Enterolactone synthesis and cholesterol-derived hormone synthesis were increased under microplastic exposure. Bacteria within Eubacteriales (e.g., Oscillospiraceae bacterium and Clostridiales bacterium) contributed most to metabolic disturbances under microplastic exposure.
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