Parkinsons Disease human samples

In recent years Parkinson's disease has been increasingly associated with the gut microbiome. Nevertheless, most studies have been devoted to gut bacterial microbiota, forgetting the fungal component of the microbiome. Yet the microbiome contains not only bacteria but also fungi, viruses and archaea, and these communities affect each other in various forms. In this study we focus both on the bacterial and on the fungal components. We demonstrate, in addition to a dysregulated microbiome in the gut and saliva, PD patients harbor a selective gut mycobial profile, particularly with increased presence of Aspergillus, though no disturbance is observed in the salivary mycobiome. These micro- and myco-biota are associated with related disturbed metabolic profiles, suggesting an association between PD and the gut's functional mycobiome. The increase in the abundance of Aspergillus in PD patients is especially interesting, as this fungus is known to produce 1-octen-3-ol which causes dopamine neuron degradation through the disruption of dopamine, suggesting a role it plays in the disease. Future studies should explore the role of environmental contaminants, including Aspergillus, a common mold, in the disease and further examine functional relevance.