REVIEW article
Front. Immunol.
Sec. Microbial Immunology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1614879
This article is part of the Research TopicAdvances in Immunity and Microbiome: Exploring Key Interactions and InnovationsView all 6 articles
Short-chain fatty acids: key antiviral mediators of gut microbiota
Provisionally accepted
- 1State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute (CAAS), Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
- 2Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
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The effects of gut microbiota on antiviral immunity have been well-documented in recent years, whereas a mechanistic understanding of microbiota-derived metabolite-related signaling pathways is still lacking. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), key metabolites produced by gut bacterial microbiota via dietary fiber fermentation and amino acid metabolism, have been shown to facilitate host antiviral responses. In this review, we summarized the detailed mechanisms which could contribute to the regulation of antiviral immunity engaged and initiated by SCFAs, involving G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-mediated, histone deacetylase (HDAC)-mediated, and metabolic pathways. We also discuss the implications of SCFAs for viral disease management and pandemic preparedness. This review provides new insight into the antiviral activities of SCFAs and highlights the therapeutic potential of SCFA-producing bacteria.
Keywords: antiviral immunity, G-protein-coupled receptor, Gut Microbiota, histone acetyltransferase, Histone deacetylase, short-chain fatty acid
Received: 20 Apr 2025; Accepted: 02 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Xu, Wang, Wang, Li, Sun and Qiu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Hua-Ji Qiu, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
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