Gut microbiome metabolites alter genomic networks in PC12 cells relevant to autism spectrum diorders

Alterations in the composition of the gut microbiome have an emerging role in brain function and behaviour. We have porposed that short chain fatty acids (SCFA) including propionate and butyrate which are present in the diet and are fermantation products of many gastrointestinal bacteria are contributing environmental factors in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Here we used the microarray technology to compare global changes in gene expression profiles following exposure of PC12 cells to structurally related SCFA propionate and butyrate each in two different concentrations. Large number of affected genes, common for both SCFA were identified, including genetic networks and GO processes implicated in ASD.肠道微生物组（gut microbiome）组成的改变在大脑功能与行为调控中发挥着日益凸显的重要作用。我们提出，包括丙酸（propionate）与丁酸（butyrate）在内的短链脂肪酸（short chain fatty acids, SCFA）——这类物质既存在于膳食中，也是多种胃肠道细菌的发酵代谢产物——是自闭症谱系障碍（autism spectrum disorders, ASD）的潜在致病环境因子。本研究利用微阵列（microarray）技术，对比了PC12细胞暴露于两种结构相关的短链脂肪酸（丙酸与丁酸，各设置两种不同浓度）后的全基因表达谱全局变化。研究鉴定出了两类短链脂肪酸共有的大量差异表达基因，其中包括与自闭症谱系障碍相关的基因调控网络及基因本体（Gene Ontology, GO）生物学过程。