Gut Enterococcus faecium derived leucic acid mediates the antiobesity effect of dietary fiber
- 1College of Basic Medical Sciences; Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicinal Resource and Chinese Herbal Compound of the Ministry of Education Hubei University of Chinese Medicine Wuhan China
- 2Department of Endocrinology Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University Wuhan China
Abstract
Obesity is a globally prevalent metabolic disorder closely associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis. However, the precise roles of gut microbiota and microbial metabolism in this disease remain unclear. Through fecal metagenomic data mining and clinical cohort validation, we identified a gut bacterial strain with anti‐obesity potential, Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium). It inhibited adipocyte enlargement, dyslipidemia, and hepatic steatosis in obese mice by metabolizing leucine to produce leucic acid (LEA). Colonization with E. faecium or exogenous LEA supplementation improved obesity‐associated metabolic phenotypes. Mechanistically, E. faecium metabolized leucine into LEA via putative branched‐chain amino acids metabolic enzymes. The bacterium‐derived LEA regulated mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and thus alleviated obesity. Furthermore, using a high‐content screening system and an in vitro fermentation model, we found that the dietary fiber glucomannan exerted anti‐obesity effects by promoting the growth of E. faecium. This study reveals the critical role of microbial metabolism and LEA production in ameliorating the onset and progression of obesity, providing a theoretical basis for dietary fiber intervention strategies targeting the gut microbiota.
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BibTeX
@article{hu2026enterococcus,
title = {{Gut Enterococcus faecium derived leucic acid mediates the antiobesity effect of dietary fiber}},
author = {Baifei Hu and Qianru Gao and Junmin Hui and Mengqiong Wang and Haiyan Gao and Kai Li and Junping Zheng and Zhe Dai and Songlin Liu and Hongtao Liu},
journal = {iMeta},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1002/imt2.70173},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/imt2.70173},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Gut Enterococcus faecium derived leucic acid mediates the antiobesity effect of dietary fiber
AU - Baifei Hu
AU - Qianru Gao
AU - Junmin Hui
AU - Mengqiong Wang
AU - Haiyan Gao
AU - Kai Li
AU - Junping Zheng
AU - Zhe Dai
AU - Songlin Liu
AU - Hongtao Liu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/29
JO - iMeta
DO - 10.1002/imt2.70173
UR - https://doi.org/10.1002/imt2.70173
AB - Obesity is a globally prevalent metabolic disorder closely associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis. However, the precise roles of gut microbiota and microbial metabolism in this disease remain unclear. Through fecal metagenomic data mining and clinical cohort validation, we identified a gut bacterial strain with anti‐obesity potential, Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium). It inhibited adipocyte enlargement, dyslipidemia, and hepatic steatosis in obese mice by metabolizing leucine to produce leucic acid (LEA). Colonization with E. faecium or exogenous LEA supplementation improved obesity‐associated metabolic phenotypes. Mechanistically, E. faecium metabolized leucine into LEA via putative branched‐chain amino acids metabolic enzymes. The bacterium‐derived LEA regulated mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and thus alleviated obesity. Furthermore, using a high‐content screening system and an in vitro fermentation model, we found that the dietary fiber glucomannan exerted anti‐obesity effects by promoting the growth of E. faecium. This study reveals the critical role of microbial metabolism and LEA production in ameliorating the onset and progression of obesity, providing a theoretical basis for dietary fiber intervention strategies targeting the gut microbiota.
SN - 2770-596X
SN - 2770-5986
ER -