Multi-Omics Reveals that Lead Exposure Disturbs Gut Microbiome Development, Key Metabolites and Metabolic Pathways

Overview

This Chemical Research in Toxicology paper from the Lu laboratory at the University of Georgia and the University of North Carolina applies multi-omics (16S rRNA gut microbiome sequencing, untargeted metabolomics, shotgun metagenomics) to an experimental mouse model of dietary lead exposure to characterize the consequences of Pb exposure for gut microbial community structure, microbial metabolic output, and host metabolic pathways. The paper is one of the foundational mouse experimental studies in the Pb-and-microbiome literature and provides the mechanistic detail that complements the human-cohort observational studies (Yang 2023, Yan 2025) and the broader review literature (Coryell 2019, Assefa 2020, Zhu 2024).

Key conclusions

Pb exposure measurably perturbs gut microbiome composition, with consistent shifts in taxonomic abundance and functional pathway representation. Pb-induced microbiome changes are associated with disturbances in key host metabolites and metabolic pathways. The multi-omics approach allows the paper to distinguish microbiome-mediated metabolic disturbances from direct host-pathway disturbances; both contribute to the systemic Pb-toxicity phenotype.

Implications

• Certification: Mechanistic support for the Pb-microbiome contribution to chronic-Pb-exposure toxicity, supplementing the more traditional bone, kidney, neurodevelopmental endpoints.
• Microbiome: Foundational mouse-model reference for Pb-and-microbiome. Crosswalks to WikiBiome. Companion to Coryell 2019 (As-microbiome review) and Yang 2023 (Ni-microbiome cohort).

Wiki pages updated on ingest

• Lead
• lead-microbiome-axis

Update history

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