The Gut Microbiota–Ferroptosis Axis: Emerging Perspectives in Gastrointestinal Tumorigenesis and Progression
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. The Main Mechanisms of Ferroptosis Mediated by Gut Microbiota
2.1. Iron Metabolism Pathway
2.2. Lipid Metabolism
2.3. Amino Acid Metabolism
3. Regulation of Gastrointestinal Tumors by Gut Microbiota Metabolites Through Ferroptosis
3.1. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
3.2. Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs)
3.3. Bile Acids (BAs)
3.4. Vitamins
3.5. Glutamine
3.6. Tryptophan
4. Modulation of Gut Microbiota: A Novel Therapeutic Strategy for Digestive Tract Tumors
4.1. Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT)
4.2. Supplementation of Probiotics and Prebiotics
4.3. Dietary Intervention
5. Summary and Outlook
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
| Abbreviation | Full Name |
| 3-HA | 3-Hydroxyanthranilic acid |
| 5-HT | 5-Hydroxytryptamine |
| ABCD1 | ATP Binding Cassette Subfamily D Member 1 |
| ACSL3 | Acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 3 |
| ACSL4 | acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 |
| AKT | AKT serine/threonine kinase |
| ALK5 | Activin receptor-like kinase 5 |
| AMPK | AMP-activated protein kinase |
| ATF3 | Activating transcription factor 3 |
| ATF4 | Activating transcription factor 4 |
| BACH1 | BTB domain and CNC homolog 1 |
| BAs | Bile acids |
| BSH | Bile salt hydrolase |
| cAMP | Cyclic adenosine monophosphate |
| cGAS | Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase |
| CCA | Cholangiocarcinoma |
| CD36 | Cluster of Differentiation 36 |
| CLA | Conjugated linoleic acid |
| CRC | Colorectal cancer |
| DCA | Deoxycholic acid |
| DHA | Dehydroascorbic acid |
| DHODH | Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase |
| DMT1 | Divalent metal transporter 1 |
| E-cadherin | Epithelial cadherin |
| FMT | Fecal microbiota transplantation |
| FIN56 | Ferroptosis inducer 56 |
| Fer-1 | Ferrostatin-1 |
| FFAR2 | free fatty acid receptor 2 |
| FPN1 | Ferroportin |
| FSP1 | Ferroptosis suppressor protein 1 |
| FTH1 | Ferritin heavy chain |
| FXR | Farnesoid X receptor |
| GC | Gastric cancer |
| GLUT1 | Glucose transporter type 1 |
| GLS1 | Glutaminase 1 |
| GLS2 | Glutaminase 2 |
| Gln | Glutamine |
| GPCR | G-Protein Coupled Receptor |
| GPX2 | Glutathione peroxidase 2 |
| GPX4 | Glutathione peroxidase 4 |
| GSH | Glutathione |
| HCC | Hepatocellular carcinoma |
| HDAC | Histone Deacetylase |
| HIF1α | Hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha |
| HIF-2α | hypoxia-inducible factor-2α |
| HO-1 | Heme oxygenase-1 |
| HTR2B | 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2B |
| IFN-I | Type I interferon |
| IFN-γ | Interferon-gamma |
| ILA | Indole-3-lactic acid |
| ICC | Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma |
| iPSC | Induced pluripotent stem cell |
| IL-1β | Interleukin-1 beta |
| IL-6 | Interleukin-6 |
| IL-8 | Interleukin-8 |
| IRP | Iron regulatory protein |
| JAK2 | Janus kinase 2 |
| KCTD10 | Potassium channel tetramerization domain-containing 10 |
| Keap1 | Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 |
| LCA | Lithocholic acid |
| LPCAT3 | Lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 3 |
| LOXs | Lipoxygenases |
| LPSs | Lipopolysaccharides |
| MAOA | Monoamine oxidase A |
| miR-130b-3p | microRNA-130b-3p |
| MTCs | Microbial tryptophan catabolites |
| mTORC1 | Mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 |
| NF-κB | Nuclear Factor Kappa-Light-Chain-Enhancer of Activated B Cells |
| NLRP3 | NOD-like receptor protein 3 |
| NOX1 | NADPH Oxidase 1 |
| NRF2 | Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 |
| p62 | Sequestosome-1 |
| PDAC | Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma |
| PEBP1 | Phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein 1 |
| PI3K | Phosphoinositide 3-kinase |
| Piezo1 | Piezo type mechanosensitive ion channel component 1 |
| PKA | Protein kinase A |
| PPARα | Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha |
| PTGS2 | prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 |
| PUFAs | Polyunsaturated fatty acids |
| ROS | Reactive oxygen species |
| RSL3 | RSL3 (ferroptosis inducer) |
| SCD1 | Stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 |
| SCFAs | Short-chain fatty acids |
| SLC3A2 | Solute carrier family 3 member 2 |
| SLC7A11 | Solute Carrier Family 7 Member 11 |
| SNAI2 | Snail Family Transcriptional Repressor 2 |
| SOD2 | Superoxide dismutase 2 |
| SOCS2 | Suppressor of cytokine signaling 2 |
| STING | Stimulator of interferon genes |
| STAT3 | Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 |
| System Xc− | Cystine/Glutamate Antiporter System |
| TfR1 | Transferrin receptor 1 |
| TNF-α | Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha |
| TLR4 | Toll-like receptor 4 |
| Tregs | Regulatory T cells |
| TPH1 | Tryptophan hydroxylase 1 |
| UDCA | Ursodeoxycholic acid |
| USP5 | Ubiquitin-specific protease 5 |
| USP18 | Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 18 |
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| Gut Microbiome | Metabolite | Mechanism | Target | Tumor | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Escherichia coli | Enterobactin | Modulates the iron metabolism pathway | FeoB | CRC | [12] |
| Escherichia coli | — | Modulates the iron metabolism pathway | Ferritin | CRC | [13] |
| Lactobacillus reuteri Lactobacillus johnsonii | 1,3-Diaminopropane(DAP) | Modulates the iron metabolism pathway | HIF-2α | CRC | [65] |
| Fusobacterium nucleatum | — | Activates the E-cadherin/β-catenin/GPX4 signaling axis; Modulates the system xc−–GSH–GPX4 axis | GPX4 | CRC | [28] |
| H. pylori | LPS | TLR4 activation→GPX2/4 ↑; Modulates the system xc−–GSH–GPX4 axis | GPX2 GPX4 | GC | [40] |
| Escherichia-Shigella Enterococcus | LPS | Activates the IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway; Modulates the iron metabolism pathway | FPN1 | HCC | [31,32] |
| LPS | Modulates the lipid metabolism pathway; Modulates the system xc−–GSH–GPX4 axis | ACSL4 GPX4 | CRC | [36,37] | |
| Decreased levels of miR-130b-3p; Modulates the iron metabolism pathway | miR-130b-3p | ||||
| LPS | Modulates the lipid metabolism pathway | SP1 ACSL4 | may CRC | [66] | |
| LPS | Modulates the lipid metabolism pathway; Modulates the iron metabolism pathway | Piezo1 | CRC | [41] | |
| Lactobacillus | SCFAs | Modulates the system xc−–GSH–GPX4 axis; Modulates the lipid metabolism pathway | GSH | CRC | [22,23] |
| Fusobacterium nucleatum Parvimonas micra | SCFAs | Regulation of the glutamine metabolic pathway | GLS1 GLS2 | GC | [59,60] |
| Faecalibacterium prausnitzii Roseburia spp. Eubacterium hallii Anaerostipes spp. | Butyrate | Modulates the system xc−–GSH–GPX4 axis | SLC7A11 | CRC | [45] |
| Butyrate | Modulates the lipid metabolism pathway | CD36-mRNA SOD2 | PDAC | [46] | |
| Butyrate | Modulates the system xc−–GSH–GPX4 axis | USP5, GPX4 | HCC | [47] | |
| Bacteroides Clostridium Bifidobacterium Lactobacillus Enterococcus | BAs | Modulates the iron metabolism pathway; Modulates the lipid metabolism pathway; Modulates the system xc−–GSH–GPX4 axis | GPX4 FSP1 SCD1 ACSL3 | HCC | [49,50,67] |
| BAs | Activation of the FXR-BACH1-GSH-GPX4 signaling pathway; Modulates the system xc−–GSH–GPX4 axis | GPX4 GSH | GC | [52] | |
| — | DHA | Modulates the system xc−–GSH–GPX4 axis; Activates the AMPK/NRF2 signaling pathway to modulate the iron metabolism pathway. | GSH | pancreatic tumor | [54] |
| Coronabacteriaceae Dorea longicatena Bifidobacterium longum | Vitamin D | Modulates the system xc−–GSH–GPX4 axis | SLC7A11 GSH | CRC | [55] |
| — | Vitamin E | Modulates the system xc−–GSH–GPX4 axis | GPX4 | CCA | [56] |
| Bifidobacterium Clostridium bartlettii Clostridium sporogenes | 5-HT | Activates the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway to modulate the lipid metabolism pathway | HIF1α ABCD1 | CRC | [62,63,64] |
| Peptostreptococcus anaerobius | Indolepropionic acid (IPA) | Modulates the AHR-ALDH1A3-FSP1-coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) axis. | FSP1 CoQ10 | CRC | [68] |
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Luo, J.; Yu, Y.; Song, H.; Wang, B. The Gut Microbiota–Ferroptosis Axis: Emerging Perspectives in Gastrointestinal Tumorigenesis and Progression. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2025, 47, 1025. https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb47121025
Luo J, Yu Y, Song H, Wang B. The Gut Microbiota–Ferroptosis Axis: Emerging Perspectives in Gastrointestinal Tumorigenesis and Progression. Current Issues in Molecular Biology. 2025; 47(12):1025. https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb47121025
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuo, Jiayan, Yuhao Yu, Haojun Song, and Bujiang Wang. 2025. "The Gut Microbiota–Ferroptosis Axis: Emerging Perspectives in Gastrointestinal Tumorigenesis and Progression" Current Issues in Molecular Biology 47, no. 12: 1025. https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb47121025
APA StyleLuo, J., Yu, Y., Song, H., & Wang, B. (2025). The Gut Microbiota–Ferroptosis Axis: Emerging Perspectives in Gastrointestinal Tumorigenesis and Progression. Current Issues in Molecular Biology, 47(12), 1025. https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb47121025

