Untargeted metabolomics data from Faecalibacterium prausnitzii FAAH experiment

Undernutrition in Bangladeshi children is associated with disruption of
postnatal gut microbiota assembly; compared to standard therapy, a
microbiota-directed complementary food (MDCF) significantly improved their
ponderal and linear growth. Here, we characterize a fatty acid amide
hydrolase (FAAH) from a growth-associated intestinal strain of
Faecalibacterium prausnitzii cultured from these children. This enzyme,
expressed and purified from E. coli, hydrolyzes a variety of N-acylamides,
including oleoylethanolamide (OEA), neurotransmitters, and quorumsensing
N-acyl homoserine lactones, and synthesizes a range of N-acylamides,
notably N-acyl amino acids. Treating germ-free mice with N-oleoylarginine
and N-oleolyhistidine, major products of FAAH OEA metabolism, markedly
affected expression of intestinal immune function pathways. Administering
MDCF to Bangladeshi children significantly reduced fecal OEA, a satiety
factor whose levels were negatively correlated with the abundance and
expression of their F. prausnitzii FAAH. This enzyme, structurally and
catalytically distinct from mammalian FAAH, is positioned to regulate
levels of a variety of bioactive molecules.