gutMGene

gutMGene catalogs curated relationships between gut microbes, microbial metabolites, and host target genes in human and mouse to support mechanistic studies of microbe–host molecular interactions.

Key Features:

• Curated relationships: gutMGene documents 1,331 relationships involving 332 gut microbes, 207 microbial metabolites, and 223 human genes, and 2,349 relationships involving 209 gut microbes, 149 microbial metabolites, and 544 mouse genes.
• Metagenomic sequencing data: The database is built on metagenomic sequencing of fecal samples and identifies approximately 3.3 million non-redundant microbial genes across up to 1,500 species.
• Systemic metabolite contribution: The resource notes that ~10% of metabolites in mammalian blood are derived from gut microbiota and that bacterially derived small-molecule metabolites can modulate host gene expression via activation or inhibition pathways.
• Detailed annotations: Each entry records the specific microbe–metabolite–gene relationship with a brief interaction description, experimental technology used, platform details, and literature references.

Scientific Applications:

• Mechanistic studies: Elucidating genetic targets of microbial metabolites to investigate pathways involved in host physiology and disease.
• Comparative host analysis: Enabling cross-species comparison of microbe–metabolite–gene relationships between human and mouse.
• Functional genomics integration: Bridging metagenomic gene catalogs with functional annotations of host gene regulation by microbial factors.
• Therapeutic research: Supporting studies on dysbiosis-linked disorders by identifying microbe-derived metabolites and their host gene targets as potential intervention points.

Methodology:

Curation of microbe–metabolite–gene relationships and analysis of metagenomic sequencing data from fecal samples were used to identify ~3.3 million non-redundant microbial genes across up to 1,500 species.