Bacteroides ovatus colonization influences the abundance of intestinal short chain fatty acids and neurotransmitters

Microbial colonization has been associated with the concentrations and turn-over of a wide range of host neurotransmitters and neuro-active compounds. Previous studies have identified that Bacteroides, a dominant member of the human gut microbiome, can influence distance organs; potentially through the production of neuro-active compounds. We evaluated the representative human gut commensal B. ovatus ATCC 8483 in germ-free adult mice to determine if B. ovatus-derived metabolites influenced intestinal neurotransmitter and SCFA concentrations in vivo and highlight novel connections between microbial colonization and intestinal neurotransmitter concentrations.

微生物定植与宿主多种神经递质及神经活性化合物的浓度及代谢周转密切相关。既往研究已证实，作为人类肠道微生物组中优势类群的拟杆菌属（Bacteroides）可对远端器官产生影响，其潜在机制可能是通过合成神经活性化合物。本研究以代表性人类肠道共生菌卵形拟杆菌（B. ovatus）ATCC 8483为研究对象，将其定植于无菌成年小鼠体内，旨在探究卵形拟杆菌衍生代谢物是否可在活体水平影响肠道神经递质及短链脂肪酸（Short-Chain Fatty Acid, SCFA）的浓度，并阐明微生物定植与肠道神经递质浓度之间的新型关联。