1. Academic Validation
  2. A symbiotic filamentous gut fungus ameliorates MASH via a secondary metabolite-CerS6-ceramide axis

A symbiotic filamentous gut fungus ameliorates MASH via a secondary metabolite-CerS6-ceramide axis

  • Science. 2025 May;388(6746):eadp5540. doi: 10.1126/science.adp5540.
Shuang Zhou # 1 2 Meng Li # 3 Pengcheng Wang # 4 Chenghao Guo 3 Jinxin Zhang 3 Xi Luo 3 Yu-Chen Fan 5 En-Qiang Chen 6 Xingshun Qi 7 Jinjun Chen 8 Lechi Ye 9 Hai-Yang Yuan 10 11 12 Wen-Bing Yin 13 Kai Wang 1 2 Ming-Hua Zheng 10 11 12 Yanli Pang 1 14 15 16 Jie Qiao 1 14 15 16 Changtao Jiang 1 2
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Female Fertility Promotion, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Third Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China.
  • 2 NHC Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Peking University, Beijing, China.
  • 3 Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Center for Obesity and Metabolic Disease Research, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and Remodeling, Peking University, Beijing, China.
  • 4 Center of Basic Medical Research, Institute of Medical Innovation and Research, Beijing Key Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Research in Gastrointestinal Oncology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.
  • 5 Department of Hepatology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China.
  • 6 Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
  • 7 Department of Gastroenterology, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, Shenyang, China.
  • 8 Hepatology Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
  • 9 Department of Colorectal Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
  • 10 MAFLD Research Center, Department of Hepatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
  • 11 Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment for The Development of Chronic Liver Disease in Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou, China.
  • 12 Translational Medicine Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
  • 13 State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
  • 14 Beijing Advanced Center of Cellular Homeostasis and Aging-Related Diseases, Institute of Advanced Clinical Medicine, Peking University, Beijing, China.
  • 15 National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology (Peking University Third Hospital), Beijing, China.
  • 16 Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive Technology, Beijing, China.
  • # Contributed equally.
Abstract

The gut microbiota is known to be associated with a variety of human metabolic diseases, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). Fungi are increasingly recognized as important members of this community; however, the role of Fungal symbionts in metabolic diseases is unknown. We have systematically isolated and characterized gut fungi, identifying Fusarium foetens as an intestinal symbiotic filamentous fungus in mice. F. foetens reverses MASH progression in mouse models through an intestinal ceramide synthetase 6 (CerS6)-ceramide axis. Moreover, we identified FF-C1, a secondary metabolite from F. foetens, as a CerS6 inhibitor that has an endogenous protective effect on MASH progression.

Figures
Products