Gut microbiome

Gut microbiome research needs causal explanations of microbial effects on health, beyond descriptive associations. This conference examines poorly understood microbial genes and the model organisms, genetic tools and collaborative approaches needed to assign their functions. Sessions cover data-driven discovery, genetic perturbation, multi-omics, cellular organisation, imaging protein machines, ecological interactions with hosts and phages, and connections to other microbiomes. The aim is to connect molecular mechanisms with microbiome engineering and health applications. The programme uses E

…APOE-e4 has been linked to distinct gut microbiome composition in murine models, but genotype effects on the human gut microbiome remain unclear. Here, we hypothesized differential gut microbiome composition in healthy, younger adults (20-35 years) with genetic AD risk (i.e., individuals carrying one copy of the APOE-e4 allele, APOE-e4/e3) compared to controls (i.e., APOE-e3/e3). We geno

…The gut microbiome can influence the brain and modify complex behaviours through interactions reported by the gut-brain-axis. Perturbations to the composition of the gut microbiome by environmental or genetic factors impact on mood and motivation and may affect memory. The strongest associations between gut microbiota, brain and memory originate from studies in germ-free mice, which are deprived of their microbiome from birth. The absence of microbes

The gut microbiome plays an integral part in neurodegeneration through its direct interaction with the autonomic nervous system (ANS) via the vagal nerve. The aim of this pilot study is to investigate changes in ANS function in patients with mild Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) following administration of probiotics, compared to placebo (no active probiotics). Patients with mild AD (MMSE: 19-23) who fulfil all eligibility criteria were enrolled on the study and randomly assigned to take probiotics or placebo (control) for 16 weeks. We collected various data at baseline and study completion (weeks 0 &

…antibiotics dramatically alters the gut microbiome. Critically, there is limited understanding of the effects of a dysfunctional microbiome on brain function. Male C57BL/6J mice (2–4 months) were given drinking water containing antibiotics (ABX group; ampicillin, neomycin, gentamicin, metronidazole, and vancomycin) or untreated water (CON group). Separate cohorts received butyrate, a key microbiome-derived m

…communication between the gut microbiome and central nervous system, known as the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Therefore, the aim of this work is to investigate, whether the beneficial effects of EE are linked to alterations in

Gut microbiome has strongly emerged as a pivotal factor in the pathogenesis of stroke via gut-brain axis. However, it remains uncertain whether interventions that modulate gut microbiome can constitute a potent strategy to improve stroke outcome. The present study was carried out to explore interventions that affect stroke outcome through gut-brain axis.Eligibility criteria was applied base on PICO to search and select studies. Appropriate MESH-terms were used as search terms to source for information from PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Ebsco, and Scopus from 1st January 1990 to 31s

…Converging evidence suggests that gut microbiota is capable of influencing immunity, brain and behavior. We thus investigated

…The gut microbiome is a potential avenue through which metabolic signaling, inflammatory pathways and environmental factors influence mood disorders via the gut-brain axis. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a translational tool for investigating the connections between the gut microbiome and the brain, and there is evidence that FMT from humans to mice can induce changes in affective behavior. In this study, we compared the behavior, gut-brain metabolomic profiles, and

…is associated with changes in the gut microbiota. Thus, the gut-brain-interaction became a promising treatment-target for depression, even though the mechanisms underlying this bidirectional regulation are still not fully understood. To this point, all existing studies investigated the impact of modulating the gut microbiota on depressive symptoms but neglected the other way around. To address this direction, we used electroc

Pro-inflammatory environmental factors and disruptions to the gut microbiome are recognised contributors to Parkinson’s disease, and exogenous α-synuclein fibrils spread from the gut to brain via the vagus nerve in animal models. However, the natural cause of enteric α-synuclein pathology is unknown, but emerging research implicates enteroendocrine cells in the gut epithelium. We investigated epithelial α-synuclein through confocal microscopy and western blotting of human intestinal epithelial monolayers (Aim 1), and imaging flow cytometry of murine enteroendocrine STC-1 cells (Aim 2). Aim 1 d

Growing evidence implicates the gut microbiome in brain health and disease. Since worldwide consumption of oral antibiotics continues to rise, it is imperative to understand how microbiome-depleting antibiotics affect cognition. We studied a murine model in which mice drank water containing an antibiotic cocktail (ABX group) or untreated water (CON group). Separate cohorts received butyrate, a key microbiome-derived metabolite, either in the presence (ABXBA group) or absence (BA group) of antibiotics. The four groups were tested at 4 weeks of treatment. We assessed hippocampus–related spatial

We investigate the link between the gut microbiome and cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease by identifying microbial metabolites associated with (compromised) brain health and examining metabolite changes in individuals who progress from a healthy state (NL) to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and/or Alzheimer’s disease (AD).A dataset containing representative microbial metabolites in serum was obtained from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. A total of 104 metabolites were analyzed. These were collected over six years from 757 individuals. Kruskal-Wallis test was employed to

…correlated with dysregulations in gut microbiome composition. Therefore, we aim to investigate the impact of prenatal stress on offspring neurodevelopment and to evaluate the potential mitigative role of probiotics. Randomly chosen pregnant female Wistar rats underwent daily restraint stress

The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in maintaining the physical and mental well-being of the host. It is influenced by diverse factors, including pesticides. Glyphosate, a globally used herbicide, is understood to be harmless to humans as it targets the shikimate pathway, which is absent in animal cells. However, this idea is now being challenged as research suggests that glyphosate may negatively affect the pathway in microorganisms residing in the gut, such as gut bacteria, which could have an impact on the host. Former research has tested either high dose exposure for toxicological effe

…The gut microbiome has increasingly attracted attention for its possible contribution to NDs through the gut-brain axis. In fact, microbiota-derived metabolites, such as short chain fatty acids (SCFA), have been related t

Propionic acid (PA), a short-chain fatty acid and a metabolite of the gut microbiome, plays a significant role in health but has been associated with various pathologies, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Experimental studies in rodents have shown that elevated levels of PA can induce molecular and immune changes similar to those observed in ASD (MacFabe, et al.). However, limited knowledge exists regarding its impact on brain structural integrity. In this study, we examined the effects of a single intraperitoneal injection of PA at a dose of 175 mg/kg on adolescent male Wistar rats. S

While emerging evidence suggests a role for gut bacteria in the pathophysiology of substance use disorder (SUD), studies of their impact on brain and behavioral responses to drugs have been very limited so far. We previously showed that gut dysbiosis enhances the nicotine-induced activation of the mesolimbic system and alters nicotine’s motivational properties in mice. However, the mechanisms linking gut bacteria to the mesolimbic system to influence its response to nicotine remain to be identified. Microbial products are suspected to play a role in this process by influencing gene expression,

Habitual consumption of a “Western diet”, containing higher than recommended levels of simple sugars and saturated fatty acids, is associated with cognitive impairments in humans and in various experimental animal models. Emerging findings reveal that the specific mnemonic processes that are disrupted by Western diet consumption are those that rely on the hippocampus, a brain region classically linked with memory control and more recently with the higher-order control of food intake. Our laboratory has established rat models in which excessive consumption of different components of a Western d

…along with disruptions of gut structure and microbio

Broadly, the Mauro Costa-Mattioli laboratory (The MCM Lab) encompasses two complementary lines of research. The first one, more traditional but very important, aims at unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying memory formation (e.g., using state-of-the-art molecular and cell-specific genetic approaches). Learning and memory disorders can strike the brain during development (e.g., Autism Spectrum Disorders and Down Syndrome), as well as during adulthood (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease). We are interested in understanding the specific circuits and molecular pathways that are primarily targeted i

We are interested in understanding how microbes impact the behavior of host animals. Animal nervous systems likely evolved in environments richly surrounded by microbes, yet the impact of bacteria on nervous system function has been relatively under-studied. A challenge has been to identify systems in which both host and microbe are amenable to genetic manipulation, and which enable high-throughput behavioral screening in response to defined and naturalistic conditions. To accomplish these goals, we use an animal host — the roundworm C. elegans, which feeds on bacteria — in combination with it