Mouse colon contents, colonized with human fecal samples (TD or ASD) Raw sequence reads. Mouse colon contents, colonized with human fecal samples (TD or ASD)

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) manifest with changes in social communication and repetitive behaviors. In addition to genetic alterations, the gut microbiome differs between typically-developing (TD) and ASD individuals, though it is unclear whether or how this contributes to etiology. We transplanted gut microbiota via fecal transfer from TD and ASD children into germ-free wild-type mice, and reveal that colonization with ASD microbiomes induces hallmark changes in sociability, vocalization, and stereotypies.