Alteration of Gut Microbiota in Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Overview

Donghun Oh,Keun-Ah Cheon 대한소아청소년정신의학회 2020 소아청소년정신의학 Vol.31 No.3

The microbiota-gut-brain axis, which refers to the bidirectional communication pathway between gut bacteria and the central nervous system, has a profound effect on important brain processes, from the synthesis of neurotransmitters to the modulation of complex behaviors such as sociability and anxiety. Previous studies have revealed that the gut microbiota is potentially related to not only gastrointestinal disturbances, but also social impairment and repetitive behavior—core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although studies have been conducted to characterize the microbial composition in patients with ASD, the results are heterogeneous. Nevertheless, it is clear that there is a difference in the composition of the gut microbiota between ASD and typically developed individuals, and animal studies have repeatedly suggested that the gut microbiota plays an important role in ASD pathophysiology. This possibility is supported by abnormalities in metabolites produced by the gut microbiota and the association between altered immune responses and the gut microbiota observed in ASD patients. Based on these findings, various attempts have been made to use the microbiota in ASD treatment. The results reported to date suggest that microbiota-based therapies may be effective for ASD, but largescale, well-designed studies are needed to confirm this.

An investigation of seasonal variations in the microbiota of milk, feces, bedding, and airborne dust

Nguyen Thuong Thi,Wu Haoming,Nishino Naoki 아세아·태평양축산학회 2020 Animal Bioscience Vol.33 No.11

Objective: The microbiota of dairy cow milk varies with the season, and this accounts in part for the seasonal variation in mastitis-causing bacteria and milk spoilage. The microbiota of the cowshed may be the most important factor because the teats of a dairy cow contact bedding material when the cow is resting. The objectives of the present study were to determine whether the microbiota of the milk and the cowshed vary between seasons, and to elucidate the relationship between the microbiota. Methods: We used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to investigate the microbiota of milk, feces, bedding, and airborne dust collected at a dairy farm during summer and winter. Results: The seasonal differences in the milk yield and milk composition were marginal. The fecal microbiota was stable across the two seasons. Many bacterial taxa of the bedding and airborne dust microbiota exhibited distinctive seasonal variation. In the milk microbiota, the abundances of Staphylococcaceae, Bacillaceae, Streptococcaceae, Microbacteriaceae, and Micrococcaceae were affected by the seasons; however, only Micrococcaceae had the same seasonal variation pattern as the bedding and airborne dust microbiota. Nevertheless, canonical analysis of principle coordinates revealed a distinctive group comprising the milk, bedding, and airborne dust microbiota. Conclusion: Although the milk microbiota is related to the bedding and airborne dust microbiota, the relationship may not account for the seasonal variation in the milk microbiota. Some major bacterial families stably found in the bedding and airborne dust microbiota, e.g., Staphylococcaceae, Moraxellaceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Bacteroidaceae, may have greater influences than those that varied between seasons.

Rapid Assessment of Microbiota Changes in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Bacteria-derived Membrane Vesicles in Urine

이윤진,박진영,이은화,양진호,정보리,김윤근,서주영,이소현,한평림,김의정 한국뇌신경과학회 2017 Experimental Neurobiology Vol.26 No.5

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have altered gut microbiota, which appears to regulate ASD symptoms via gut microbiota-brain interactions. Rapid assessment of gut microbiota profiles in ASD individuals in varying physiological contexts is important to understanding the role of the microbiota in regulating ASD symptoms. Microbiomes secrete extracellular membrane vesicles (EVs) to communicate with host cells and secreted EVs are widely distributed throughout the body including the blood and urine. In the present study, we investigated whether bacteria-derived EVs in urine are useful for the metagenome analysis of microbiota in ASD individuals. To address this, bacterial DNA was isolated from bacteria-derived EVs in the urine of ASD individuals. Subsequent metagenome analysis indicated markedly altered microbiota profiles at the levels of the phylum, class, order, family, and genus in ASD individuals relative to control subjects. Microbiota identified from urine EVs included gut microbiota reported in previous studies and their up- and down-regulation in ASD individuals were partially consistent with microbiota profiles previously assessed from ASD fecal samples. However, overall microbiota profiles identified in the present study represented a distinctive microbiota landscape for ASD. Particularly, the occupancy of g_Pseudomonas, g_Sphingomonas, g_Agrobacterium, g_Achromobacter , and g_Roseateles decreased in ASD, whereas g_Streptococcus, g_Akkermansia, g_Rhodococcus , and g_Halomonas increased. These results demonstrate distinctively altered gut microbiota profiles in ASD, and validate the utilization of urine EVs for the rapid assessment of microbiota in ASD.

Interplays between human microbiota and microRNAs in COVID-19 pathogenesis: a literature review

홍복실,김명류 한국운동영양학회 2021 Physical Activity and Nutrition (Phys Act Nutr) Vol.25 No.2

[Purpose] Recent studies have shown that COVID-19 is often associated with altered gut microbiota composition and reflects disease severity. Furthermore, various reports suggest that the interaction between COVID-19 and host-microbiota homeostasis is mediated through the modulation of microRNAs (miRNAs). Thus, in this review, we aim to summarize the association between human microbiota and miRNAs in COVID-19 pathogenesis. [Methods] We searched for the existing literature using the keywords such “COVID-19 or microbiota,” “microbiota or microRNA,” and “COVID-19 or probiotics” in PubMed until March 31, 2021. Subsequently, we thoroughly reviewed the articles related to microbiota and miRNAs in COVID-19 to generate a comprehensive picture depicting the association between human microbiota and microRNAs in the pathogenesis of COVID-19. [Results] There exists strong experimental evidence suggesting that the composition and diversity of human microbiota are altered in COVID-19 patients, implicating a bidirectional association between the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. In addition, SARS-CoV-2 encoded miRNAs and host cellular microRNAs modulated by human microbiota can interfere with viral replication and regulate host gene expression involved in the initiation and progression of COVID-19. These findings suggest that the manipulation of human microbiota with probiotics may play a significant role against SARS-CoV-2 infection by enhancing the host immune system and lowering the inflammatory status. [Conclusion] The human microbiota-miRNA axis can be used as a therapeutic approach for COVID-19. Hence, further studies are needed to investigate the exact molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of miRNA expression in human microbiota and how these miRNA profiles mediate viral infection through host-microbe interactions.

Simotang Alleviates the Gastrointestinal Side Effects of Chemotherapy by Altering Gut Microbiota

( Lijing Deng ),( Xingyi Zhou ),( Zhifang Lan ),( Kairui Tang ),( Xiaoxu Zhu ),( Xiaowei Mo ),( Zongyao Zhao ),( Zhiqiang Zhao ),( Mansi Wu ) 한국미생물생명공학회 2022 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.32 No.4

Simotang oral liquid (SMT) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) consisting of four natural plants and is used to alleviate gastrointestinal side effects after chemotherapy and functional dyspepsia (FD). However, the mechanism by which SMT helps cure these gastrointestinal diseases is still unknown. Here, we discovered that SMT could alleviate gastrointestinal side effects after chemotherapy by altering gut microbiota. C57BL/6J mice were treated with cisplatin (DDP) and SMT, and biological samples were collected. Pathological changes in the small intestine were observed, and the intestinal injury score was assessed. The expression levels of the inflammatory factors IL-1β and IL-6 and the adhesive factors Occludin and ZO-1 in mouse blood or small intestine tissue were also detected. Moreover, the gut microbiota was analyzed by high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA amplicons. SMT was found to effectively reduce gastrointestinal mucositis after DDP injection, which lowered inflammation and tightened the intestinal epithelial cells. Gut microbiota analysis showed that the abundance of the anti-inflammatory microbiota was downregulated and that the inflammatory microbiota was upregulated in DDP-treated mice. SMT upregulated antiinflammatory and anticancer microbiota abundance, while the inflammatory microbiota was downregulated. An antibiotic cocktail (ABX) was also used to delete mice gut microbiota to test the importance of gut microbiota, and we found that SMT could not alleviate gastrointestinal mucositis after DDP injection, showing that gut microbiota might be an important mediator of SMT treatment. Our study provides evidence that SMT might moderate gastrointestinal mucositis after chemotherapy by altering gut microbiota.

Influence of Panax ginseng on obesity and gut microbiota in obese middle-aged Korean women

Song, Mi-Young,Kim, Bong-Soo,Kim, Hojun The Korean Society of Ginseng 2014 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.38 No.2

Background: Gut microbiota is regarded as one of the major factors involved in the control of body weight. The antiobesity effects of ginseng and its main constituents have been demonstrated, but the effects on gut microbiota are still unknown. Methods: To investigate the effect of ginseng on gut microbiota, 10 obese middle-aged Korean women took Panax ginseng extracts for 8 wk and assessment of body composition parameters, metabolic biomarkers, and gut microbiota composition was performed using 16S rRNA gene-based pyrosequencing at baseline and at 8 wk. Significant changes were observed in body weight and body mass index; however, slight changes were observed in gut microbiota. We divided the participants into two groups, the effective and the ineffective weight loss groups, depending on weight loss effect, in order to determine whether the antiobesity effect was influenced by the composition of gut microbiota, and the composition of gut microbiota was compared between the two groups. Results: Prior to ginseng intake, significant differences of gut microbiota were observed between both at phyla and genera and the gut microbiota of the effective and ineffective weight loss groups was segregated on a principal coordinate analysis plot. Conclusion: Results of this study indicate that ginseng exerted a weight loss effect and slight effects on gut microbiota in all participants. In addition, its antiobesity effects differed depending on the composition of gut microbiota prior to ginseng intake.

Infl uence of Panax ginseng on obesity and gut microbiota in obese middle-aged Korean women

Mi-Young Song,Bong-Soo Kim,Hojun Kim 고려인삼학회 2014 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.38 No.2

Background: Gut microbiota is regarded as one of the major factors involved in the control of bodyweight. The antiobesity effects of ginseng and its main constituents have been demonstrated, but theeffects on gut microbiota are still unknown. Methods: To investigate the effect of ginseng on gut microbiota, 10 obese middle-aged Korean womentook Panax ginseng extracts for 8 wk and assessment of body composition parameters, metabolic biomarkers,and gut microbiota composition was performed using 16S rRNA gene-based pyrosequencing atbaseline and at 8 wk. Significant changes were observed in body weight and body mass index; however,slight changes were observed in gut microbiota. We divided the participants into two groups, theeffective and the ineffective weight loss groups, depending on weight loss effect, in order to determinewhether the antiobesity effect was influenced by the composition of gut microbiota, and the compositionof gut microbiota was compared between the two groups. Results: Prior to ginseng intake, significant differences of gut microbiota were observed between both atphyla and genera and the gut microbiota of the effective and ineffective weight loss groups was segregatedon a principal coordinate analysis plot. Conclusion: Results of this study indicate that ginseng exerted a weight loss effect and slight effects ongut microbiota in all participants. In addition, its antiobesity effects differed depending on the compositionof gut microbiota prior to ginseng intake.

Microbial short-chain fatty acids: a bridge between dietary fibers and poultry gut health — A review

Ali Qasim,Ma Sen,La Shaokai,Guo Zhiguo,Liu Boshuai,Gao Zimin,Farooq Umar,Wang Zhichang,Zhu Xiaoyan,Cui Yalei,Li Defeng,Shi Yinghua 아세아·태평양축산학회 2022 Animal Bioscience Vol.35 No.10

The maintenance of poultry gut health is complex depending on the intricate balance among diet, the commensal microbiota, and the mucosa, including the gut epithelium and the superimposing mucus layer. Changes in microflora composition and abundance can confer beneficial or detrimental effects on fowl. Antibiotics have devastating impacts on altering the landscape of gut microbiota, which further leads to antibiotic resistance or spread the pathogenic populations. By eliciting the landscape of gut microbiota, strategies should be made to break down the regulatory signals of pathogenic bacteria. The optional strategy of conferring dietary fibers (DFs) can be used to counterbalance the gut microbiota. DFs are the non-starch carbohydrates indigestible by host endogenous enzymes but can be fermented by symbiotic microbiota to produce shortchain fatty acids (SCFAs). This is one of the primary modes through which the gut microbiota interacts and communicate with the host. The majority of SCFAs are produced in the large intestine (particularly in the caecum), where they are taken up by the enterocytes or transported through portal vein circulation into the bloodstream. Recent shreds of evidence have elucidated that SCFAs affect the gut and modulate the tissues and organs either by activating G-protein-coupled receptors or affecting epigenetic modifications in the genome through inducing histone acetylase activities and inhibiting histone deacetylases. Thus, in this way, SCFAs vastly influence poultry health by promoting energy regulation, mucosal integrity, immune homeostasis, and immune maturation. In this review article, we will focus on DFs, which directly interact with gut microbes and lead to the production of SCFAs. Further, we will discuss the current molecular mechanisms of how SCFAs are generated, transported, and modulated the pro-and anti-inflammatory immune responses against pathogens and host physiology and gut health. The maintenance of poultry gut health is complex depending on the intricate balance among diet, the commensal microbiota, and the mucosa, including the gut epithelium and the superimposing mucus layer. Changes in microflora composition and abundance can confer beneficial or detrimental effects on fowl. Antibiotics have devastating impacts on altering the landscape of gut microbiota, which further leads to antibiotic resistance or spread the pathogenic populations. By eliciting the landscape of gut microbiota, strategies should be made to break down the regulatory signals of pathogenic bacteria. The optional strategy of conferring dietary fibers (DFs) can be used to counterbalance the gut microbiota. DFs are the non-starch carbohydrates indigestible by host endogenous enzymes but can be fermented by symbiotic microbiota to produce shortchain fatty acids (SCFAs). This is one of the primary modes through which the gut microbiota interacts and communicate with the host. The majority of SCFAs are produced in the large intestine (particularly in the caecum), where they are taken up by the enterocytes or transported through portal vein circulation into the bloodstream. Recent shreds of evidence have elucidated that SCFAs affect the gut and modulate the tissues and organs either by activating G-protein-coupled receptors or affecting epigenetic modifications in the genome through inducing histone acetylase activities and inhibiting histone deacetylases. Thus, in this way, SCFAs vastly influence poultry health by promoting energy regulation, mucosal integrity, immune homeostasis, and immune maturation. In this review article, we will focus on DFs, which directly interact with gut microbes and lead to the production of SCFAs. Further, we will discuss the current molecular mechanisms of how SCFAs are generated, transported, and modulated the pro-and anti-inflammatory immune responses against pathogens and host physiology and gut health.

미생물 균총이 위장관암과 항암제에 미치는 영향

김사랑(Sa-Rang Kim),이정민(Jung Min Lee) 한국생명과학회 2022 생명과학회지 Vol.32 No.5

인간 미생물 균총은 장, 구강, 피부와 같이 체내외 다양한 부위에 존재하는 박테리아, 균류, 바이러스 등을 포함하는 미생물 집단이다. 16s ribosomal RNA에 대한 대사체 분석 및 차세대 염기서열 분석기술의 개발과 함께, 살아있는 유기체 내에 존재하는 미생물 균총에 대한 많은 연구가 진행되었다. 이에 따라, 미생물 균총이 숙주의 대사 및 면역과정과 복잡하게 연관되어 있음이 확인되었다. 공생균(commensal microbiota)이라 불리는 미생물 균총의 특정 박테리아가 필수 영양소를 생성하거나 다른 병원성 미생물로부터 숙주를 보호하여 긍정적으로 영향을 미치고 있는 반면, 비정상적인 미생물 균총의 조성을 의미하는 미생물 균총의 불균형(dysbiosis)에 의해 체내 항상성 유지를 방해하여 다양한 종류의 질병을 발생시키기도 한다. 최근, 미생물 균총 중에서도 구강과 장내 존재하는 박테리아가 위장관암의 발암과정과 항암제의 치료효과에 상당한 영향을 미치고 있음이 여러 논문을 통해 보고되고 있다. 미생물 균총-암-면역계 사이의 복잡한 연관성과 미생물 균총 기반 발암 메커니즘에 대한 규명은 암에 대한 이해와 새로운 항암제 개발에 중요한 단서를 제공할 것으로 기대된다. 본 리뷰는 미생물 균총의 박테리아가 위장관암과 항암제에 어떤 영향을 미치고 있는지에 대해 초점을 맞추고 있는 논문들을 요약하고 있으며, 나아가 기존 항암제의 치료효과를 개선하기 위해 복합제로써 미생물 균총의 잠재력과 도전과제에 대해 논의한다. Human microbiota is a community of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, that inhabit various locations of the body, such as the gut, oral, and skin. Along with the development of metabolomic analysis and next-generation sequencing techniques for 16S ribosomal RNA, it has become possible to analyze the population for subtypes of microbiota, and with these techniques, it has been demonstrated that bacterial microbiota are involved in the metabolic and immunological processes of the hosts. While specific bacteria of microbiota, called commensal bacteria, positively affect hosts by producing essential nutrients and protecting hosts against other pathogenic microorganisms, dysbiosis, an abnormal microbiota composition, disrupts homeostasis and thereby has a detrimental effect on the development and progression of various types of diseases. Recently, several studies have reported that oral and gut bacteria of microbiota are involved in the carcinogenesis of gastrointestinal tumors and the therapeutic effects of anticancer therapy, such as radiation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. Studying the complex relationships (bacterial microbiota-cancer-immunity) and microbiota-related carcinogenic mechanisms can provide important clues for understanding cancer and developing new cancer treatments. This review provides a summary of current studies focused on how bacterial microbiota affect gastrointestinal cancer and anticancer therapy and discusses compelling possibilities for using microbiota as a combinatorial therapy to improve the therapeutic effects of existing anticancer treatments.

Dynamic colonization of gut microbiota and its influencing factors among the breast-feeding infants during the first two years of life

Li Ping,Chang Xuelian,Chen Xiaoyu,Tang Tiantian,Liu Yajing,Shang Yu,Qi Kemin 한국미생물학회 2022 The journal of microbiology Vol.60 No.8

The maturation of infant gut microbiota has lifelong implications on health, which has been proposed as the major events during the first year of life. However, little is known about their dynamic colonization and influencing elements among the first two-year infancy as well as into the adulthood. So based on the 16S rRNA sequencing data among 30 healthy breast-feeding mother-infant pairs with normal ranges of growth and development indicators from birth to two years old, the dynamic colonization of gut microbiota and its influencing factors were discussed using this birth cohort. Among these, we identified that the diversity of gut microbiota was significantly increased from six-month to two-year subgroups. The significantly dynamic trends of gut microbiota at the phylum (genus) level were that the percents of Firmicutes (Faecalibacterium, Blautia, Enterococcus, Subdoligranulum, Agathobacter, unidentified_Erysipelotrichaceae, Staphylococcus, unidentified_Ruminococcaceae, and Fusicatenibacter), Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia were increased, while Actinobacteria (Bifidobacterium) and Proteobacteria (unidentified- Enterobacteriaceae and Klebsiella) were decreased with the increased ages from six months to two years old, which might simultaneously modulate the host pathways, such as the higher percents of chemoheterotrophy and fermentation, and lower percentages of nitrate_reduction, aerobic_chemoheterotrophy and so on. Furthermore, there were significant associations between maternal (milk microbiota, pre-pregnancy BMI, BMI increment during the pregnancy)/infant characteristics (BMI at birth and BMI gain), and the compositions of gut microbiota. However, no differences of gut microbiota were shown between the different sex and productive mode subgroups. Overall, the colonization of gut microbiota is significantly matured into the adulthood with the increased ages to two-years old and regulated by the above maternal/infant characteristics, which will provide a new direction for the host-gut microbiota interplay during the first two years of life.