Exploring the gut microbiota response to maternal dietary supplementation for the prevention of neural tube defects: A study in the loop-tail mouse model

Adequate nutrient supply is crucial for the proper development of the embryo. Although nutrient supply is determined by access to food and choice of diet, circulating micronutrient levels are not solely determined by maternal intake. The gut microbiota influences the availability of macro- and micro-nutrients. Currently, there is no cure for neural tube defects, but their prevention is largely amenable to maternal folic acid and inositol supplementation. The gut microbiota also contributes to the production of these nutrients which are absorbed by the host, however, the role of the gut microbiota in this context is a largely unexplored area. In this study, we analysed the gut microbiota by 16S rRNA gene sequencing in a mouse model of folate/inositol-resistant neural tube defects, the loop-tail mice (Vangl2 mutants). We investigated the changes in gut microbiota owning to: (1) the host genotype; (2) the sample source for metagenomics analysis; (3) the pregnancy status in the gestational window of neural tube closure; (4) folic acid and (5) D-chiro-inositol supplementation. Our results showed that the groups supplemented with folic acid and D-chiro-inositol show significant changes in their microbiota population composition, changes that could have implications for nutrient absorption.