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The microbial gbu gene cluster links cardiovascular disease risk associated with red meat consumption to microbiota l-carnitine catabolism
A gut bacterial gene cluster connects red meat-related heart disease risk to microbiome breakdown of L-carnitine
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Abstract
Plasma γ-butyrobetaine (γBB) levels in a clinical cohort of 2,918 individuals are strongly associated with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) event risks.
- The gut microbe Emergencia timonensis can metabolize γBB into trimethylamine (TMA), completing the transformation from carnitine to TMAO.
- Introduction of E. timonensis in microbial transplantation studies enhances thrombosis potential after arterial injury.
- A six-gene cluster, named the γBB utilization (gbu) gene cluster, is upregulated in response to γBB and is associated with the conversion of γBB to TMA.
- Four specific genes (gbuA, gbuB, gbuC, and gbuE) are necessary and sufficient for the conversion of γBB to TMA when expressed together.
- In a randomized diet intervention study, higher abundance of faecal gbuA correlates with increased plasma TMAO levels in individuals consuming a red meat-rich diet.
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