Gut Microbiota Regulate Motor Deficits and Neuroinflammation in a Model of Parkinson's Disease
- PMID:27912057
- PMCID: PMC5718049
- DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.11.018
Gut Microbiota Regulate Motor Deficits and Neuroinflammation in a Model of Parkinson's Disease
Abstract
The intestinal microbiota influence neurodevelopment, modulate behavior, and contribute to neurological disorders. However, a functional link between gut bacteria and neurodegenerative diseases remains unexplored. Synucleinopathies are characterized by aggregation of the protein α-synuclein (αSyn), often resulting in motor dysfunction as exemplified by Parkinson's disease (PD). Using mice that overexpress αSyn, we report herein that gut microbiota are required for motor deficits, microglia activation, and αSyn pathology. Antibiotic treatment ameliorates, while microbial re-colonization promotes, pathophysiology in adult animals, suggesting that postnatal signaling between the gut and the brain modulates disease. Indeed, oral administration of specific microbial metabolites to germ-free mice promotes neuroinflammation and motor symptoms. Remarkably, colonization of αSyn-overexpressing mice with microbiota from PD-affected patients enhances physical impairments compared to microbiota transplants from healthy human donors. These findings reveal that gut bacteria regulate movement disorders in mice and suggest that alterations in the human microbiome represent a risk factor for PD.
Keywords: Parkinson’s disease; gut-brain axis; microbiome; microglia; mouse model; short chain fatty acids; synuclein.
Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Figures







Comment in
- Microbiology: Gut bacteria linked to Parkinson's.[No authors listed][No authors listed]Nature. 2016 Dec 7;540(7632):172-173. doi: 10.1038/540172d.Nature. 2016.PMID:27929009No abstract available.
- Parkinson disease: Could gut microbiota influence severity of Parkinson disease?Malkki H.Malkki H.Nat Rev Neurol. 2017 Feb;13(2):66-67. doi: 10.1038/nrneurol.2016.195. Epub 2016 Dec 16.Nat Rev Neurol. 2017.PMID:27982042No abstract available.
- Parkinson's disease: Oh my gut!Del Rey NL, Blesa J.Del Rey NL, et al.Mov Disord. 2017 Mar;32(3):396. doi: 10.1002/mds.26933. Epub 2017 Feb 2.Mov Disord. 2017.PMID:28151555No abstract available.
- Microbiology: Gut microbes augment neurodegeneration.Erny D, Prinz M.Erny D, et al.Nature. 2017 Apr 20;544(7650):304-305. doi: 10.1038/nature21910. Epub 2017 Apr 12.Nature. 2017.PMID:28405021No abstract available.
Similar articles
- The link between the gut microbiota and Parkinson's Disease: A systematic mechanism review with focus on α-synuclein transport.Nielsen SD, Pearson NM, Seidler K.Nielsen SD, et al.Brain Res. 2021 Oct 15;1769:147609. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147609. Epub 2021 Aug 8.Brain Res. 2021.PMID:34371014
- Brain-gut-microbiota axis in Parkinson's disease.Mulak A, Bonaz B.Mulak A, et al.World J Gastroenterol. 2015 Oct 7;21(37):10609-20. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v21.i37.10609.World J Gastroenterol. 2015.PMID:26457021Free PMC article.Review.
- Dysbiosis of gut microbiota and microbial metabolites in Parkinson's Disease.Sun MF, Shen YQ.Sun MF, et al.Ageing Res Rev. 2018 Aug;45:53-61. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2018.04.004. Epub 2018 Apr 26.Ageing Res Rev. 2018.PMID:29705121Review.
- Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota and its effect on α-synuclein and prion protein misfolding: consequences for neurodegeneration.Mahbub NU, Islam MM, Hong ST, Chung HJ.Mahbub NU, et al.Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2024 Feb 16;14:1348279. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1348279. eCollection 2024.Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2024.PMID:38435303Free PMC article.Review.
- The gut microbiome in Parkinson's disease: A culprit or a bystander?Keshavarzian A, Engen P, Bonvegna S, Cilia R.Keshavarzian A, et al.Prog Brain Res. 2020;252:357-450. doi: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2020.01.004. Epub 2020 Mar 5.Prog Brain Res. 2020.PMID:32247371Review.
Cited by
- Microbiome or Infections: Amyloid-Containing Biofilms as a Trigger for Complex Human Diseases.Miller AL, Bessho S, Grando K, Tükel Ç.Miller AL, et al.Front Immunol. 2021 Feb 26;12:638867. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.638867. eCollection 2021.Front Immunol. 2021.PMID:33717189Free PMC article.Review.
- Contributions of neuroimmune and gut-brain signaling to vulnerability of developing substance use disorders.Lucerne KE, Osman A, Meckel KR, Kiraly DD.Lucerne KE, et al.Neuropharmacology. 2021 Jul 1;192:108598. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108598. Epub 2021 May 6.Neuropharmacology. 2021.PMID:33965398Free PMC article.Review.
- Microbiota and probiotics: chances and challenges - a symposium report.Ruxton CHS, Kajita C, Rocca P, Pot B.Ruxton CHS, et al.Gut Microbiome (Camb). 2023 Mar 27;4:e6. doi: 10.1017/gmb.2023.4. eCollection 2023.Gut Microbiome (Camb). 2023.PMID:39295904Free PMC article.Review.
- Microbiota-gut-brain axis in health and neurological disease: Interactions between gut microbiota and the nervous system.He Y, Wang K, Su N, Yuan C, Zhang N, Hu X, Fu Y, Zhao F.He Y, et al.J Cell Mol Med. 2024 Sep;28(18):e70099. doi: 10.1111/jcmm.70099.J Cell Mol Med. 2024.PMID:39300699Free PMC article.Review.
- A diet high in sugar and fat influences neurotransmitter metabolism and then affects brain function by altering the gut microbiota.Guo Y, Zhu X, Zeng M, Qi L, Tang X, Wang D, Zhang M, Xie Y, Li H, Yang X, Chen D.Guo Y, et al.Transl Psychiatry. 2021 May 27;11(1):328. doi: 10.1038/s41398-021-01443-2.Transl Psychiatry. 2021.PMID:34045460Free PMC article.
References
- Bercik P, Denou E, Collins J, Jackson W, Lu J, Jury J, Deng Y, Blennerhassett P, Macri J, McCoy KD, et al. The intestinal microbiota affect central levels of brain-derived neurotropic factor and behavior in mice. Gastroenterology. 2011;141:599–609. 609 e591–593. - PubMed
- Braak H, Rub U, Gai WP, Del Tredici K. Idiopathic Parkinson's disease: possible routes by which vulnerable neuronal types may be subject to neuroinvasion by an unknown pathogen. Journal of neural transmission. 2003;110:517–536. - PubMed
MeSH terms
Substances
Related information
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Medical
Molecular Biology Databases
Miscellaneous