Gut microbiota mitigate the reproductive toxicity of silver nanoparticles through thiamine-derived metabolites

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 16; no. 1; pp. 7294 - 13
• Main Authors: Gong, Jing-Xi, Wang, Xin-Lei, Lin, Chen-Xin, Li, Xin-Yuan, Wu, Jun, Tan, Qiao-Guo, Yang, Liuyan, Miao, Ai-Jun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 07.08.2025; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 14/19; 140/58; 147/143; 38/77; 38/91; 631/326/2565; 631/61/350; 639/925/928/1071; 64/11; 704/172/4081; Animals; Bacteria; Caenorhabditis elegans - drug effects; Caenorhabditis elegans - metabolism; Caenorhabditis elegans - microbiology; Caenorhabditis elegans - physiology; Detoxification; E coli; Exposure; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - drug effects; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - physiology; Gene expression; Genetic engineering; Germfree; Gut microbiota; Health risks; Humanities and Social Sciences; Intestinal microflora; Metabolites; Metabolomics; Metal Nanoparticles - chemistry; Metal Nanoparticles - toxicity; Microbiota; Microorganisms; multidisciplinary; Nanoparticles; Nematodes; Reproduction - drug effects; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Side effects; Silver; Silver - toxicity; Thiamine; Thiamine - metabolism; Toxicity; Toxicity testing; Transmission electron microscopy
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-62595-z

The environmental and health risks of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have driven the development of numerous engineering strategies to reduce the likelihood of exposure. Nonetheless, AgNP exposure is often inevitable, prompting a search for effective detoxification strategies at the organism level. Given the critical role of the gut microbiota in host health, we test its ability to mitigate the adverse effects of AgNPs by introducing various bacterial strains into the Caenorhabditis elegans gut and then comparing the nematode’s response with that of germ-free nematodes. Reproduction, the most sensitive toxicity endpoint tested herein, is significantly impaired by AgNPs but is rescued by colonization with Pseudomonas mendocina . Gene expression analyses reveal that this bacterium suppresses both the initiating and key events within the adverse outcome pathways triggered by AgNPs. Metabolomic profiling of gut bacteria and AgNP-exposed nematodes followed by verification with standard substances identifies two thiamine-derived metabolites, 4-methyl-5-thiazoleethanol and thiamine monophosphate, as pivotal in reducing the reproductive toxicity of AgNPs. Our study presents a promising approach to mitigate the adverse effects of nanoparticle exposure, through manipulation of the gut microbiota. Silver nanoparticles are used in a wide range of applications but have potential toxicity issues. Here, the authors report on a gut bacterium which can protect nematodes from reproductive harm caused by silver nanoparticles via the production of protective metabolites showing a strategy for mitigating nanoparticle toxicity.