{
  "abstract": "Background\n\nUncontrolled pneumonia induced by influenza virus infection results in severe lung pathology. Timely and proper tissue self-repair is critical to improve survival. This study aimed to identify probiotic strains that confer protection against acute lung injury induced by influenza virus infection and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms.Results\n\nSignificant structural alterations in the gut microbiota were observed in influenza patients, characterized by a marked depletion in Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, whose abundance was negatively correlated with disease severity. In a murine model of influenza infection, oral administration of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and its culture supernatant markedly alleviated lung injury. Targeted metabolomic analysis identified butyrate as the principal metabolite produced by Faecalibacterium prausnitzii that mediates lung tissue protection. Single-cell RNA sequencing further revealed that butyrate promotes the differentiation of pulmonary CD4⁺T cells into a reparative phenotype with enhanced interleukin-22 (IL-22) production. Mechanistically, butyrate facilitates IL-22 secretion through monounsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis via a histone-acetylation-dependent NR4A1-SCD1 axis. Accumulated monounsaturated fatty acids further enhance mitochondrial activities, which are essential for robust IL-22 production. Utilizing an IL-22 knockout mouse model, we confirmed the indispensable protective role of IL-22 in this gut-lung axis during influenza infection.Conclusion\n\nOur findings demonstrate that butyrate, derived from intestinal commensal Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, plays a crucial role in maintaining pulmonary tissue homeostasis during influenza infection by modulating intrinsic lipid metabolism in CD4⁺T cells. This study underscores the promising translational potential of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii supplementation as an innovative therapeutic strategy for severe influenza-associated lung injury. Video Abstract.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.",
    "Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Techniques, Hangzhou, China.",
    "Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.",
    "Department of Clinical Laboratory, School of Medicine, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.",
    "State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China.",
    "Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China. zsfzheng@zju.edu.cn.",
    "Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Techniques, Hangzhou, China. zsfzheng@zju.edu.cn.",
    "Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. zsfzheng@zju.edu.cn.",
    "Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China. chenyuzy@zju.edu.cn.",
    "Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Techniques, Hangzhou, China. chenyuzy@zju.edu.cn.",
    "Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. chenyuzy@zju.edu.cn.",
    "State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China. chenyuzy@zju.edu.cn."
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 12,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Zheying Mao"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Liqian Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Chenyue Zhuo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Mingzhu Huang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Jili Ni"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Chang Liu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Weizhen Chen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Jiaqi Bao"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Bin Lou"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Haiying Yu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5,
        6,
        7
      ],
      "name": "Shufa Zheng"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        8,
        9,
        10,
        11
      ],
      "name": "Yu Chen",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-3864-8446"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1e96v0qhpgajc.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1186/s40168-026-02486-7",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "1e96v0qhpgajc",
  "issns": [
    "2049-2618"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42934798",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1312|Gut microbiota and health"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7171741421",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": "42934798",
  "published": "2026-07-30",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1e96v0qhpgajc.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:22:02Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42934798",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42934798"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biochemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:1312|Gut microbiota and health",
      "subfield": "molecular-biology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in the gut protects against acute lung injury in influenza through butyrate educated reparative CD4⁺T cells.",
  "title_text": "Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in the gut protects against acute lung injury in influenza through butyrate educated reparative CD4⁺T cells.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:22:02Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1e96v0qhpgajc",
  "venue": "Microbiome",
  "versions": []
}