Gut microbiota regulates tilapia muscle texture via acetate-induced collagen synthesis (microbiomejournal.biomedcentral.com)

• Cetobacterium somerae produces acetate to upregulate collagen synthesis.
• Acetate acetylates SMAD2/3, increasing its stability and nuclear transport.
• Dietary acetate supplementation improves tilapia muscle hardness.

"A study in Microbiome reveals that gut bacteria (Cetobacterium somerae) increase muscle hardness in tilapia by producing acetate. Acetate promotes SMAD2/3 acetylation in fibroblasts, enhancing collagen synthesis. This explains inter-individual texture variability in faba bean-fed tilapia and offers a target for improving meat quality."