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Updated: Jul 10, 2025

Small-Scale Plasma Membrane Preparation for the Analysis of Candida albicans Cdr1-mGFPHis
Published on: June 13, 2021
Clec7a drives gut fungus-mediated host lipid deposition
Jie Ma1,2, Miao Zhou1, Zehe Song1
1College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agriculture University, Changsha, 410128, China.
Background:
Compared to that of bacteria, the role of gut fungi in obesity development remains unknown.
Results:
Here, alterations in gut fungal biodiversity and composition were confirmed in obese pig models and high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. Antifungal drugs improved diet-induced obesity, while fungal reconstruction by cohousing or fecal microbiota transplantation maintained the obese phenotype in HFD-fed mice. Fungal profiling identified 5 fungal species associated with obesity. Specifically, Ascomycota_sp. and Microascaceae_sp. were reduced in obese mice and negatively correlated with fat content. Oral supplementation with fungi was sufficient to prevent and treat diet-induced obesity. Clec7a, which is involved in fungal recognition, was highly expressed in HFD-fed mice. The Clec7a agonist accelerated diet-induced obesity, while Clec7a deficieny in mice resulted in resistance to diet-induced obesity and blocked the anti-obese effect of antifungal drugs and fungi.
Conclusions:
Taken together, these results indicate that gut fungi/Clec7a signaling is involved in diet-induced obesity and may have therapeutic implications as a biomarker for metabolic dysregulation in humans. Video Abstract.
Insights
Gut fungi play a role in obesity. Antifungal treatments and specific fungal species impact diet-induced obesity, suggesting fungi as potential therapeutic targets for metabolic disorders.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Metabolic Health
- Obesity Research
Background:
- The role of gut bacteria in obesity is known, but the function of gut fungi remains largely unexplored.
- Investigating the gut mycobiome's contribution to obesity is crucial for understanding metabolic dysregulation.
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