Alpha-synuclein alters the faecal viromes of rats in a gut-initiated model of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic neurological disorder associated with the misfolding of alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) into aggregates within nerve cells that contribute to their neurodegeneration. Recent evidence suggests alpha-syn aggregation may begin in the gut and travel to the brain along the vagus nerve, with microbes potentially a trigger initiating alpha-syn misfolding. However, the effects alpha-syn alterations on the gut virome have not been investigated. In this study, we show longitudinal faecal virome changes in rats administered either monomeric or preformed fibrils (PFF) of alpha-syn directly into their enteric nervous system. Differential changes in rat viromes were observed when comparing monomeric and PFF alpha-syn, with alterations compounded by the addition of LPS. Changes in rat faecal viromes were observed after one month and did not resolve within the study's five-month observational period. These results suggest that virome alterations may be reactive to host alpha-syn changes that are associated with PD development.