Abstract
Background: There has been increasing recognition of the importance of the gut microbiome in Parkinson’s disease (PD), but the influence of geographic location has received little attention. The present study characterized the gut microbiota and associated changes in host metabolic pathways in an Australian cohort of people with PD (PwP).Methods: The study involved recruitment and assessment of 87 PwP from multiple Movement Disorders Clinics in Australia and 47 healthy controls. Illumina sequencing of the V3 and V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene was used to distinguish inter-cohort differences in gut microbiota; KEGG analysis was subsequently performed to predict functional changes in host metabolic pathways.Results: The current findings identified significant differences in relative abundance and diversity of microbial operational taxonomic units (OTUs), and specific bacterial taxa between PwP and control groups. Alpha diversity was significantly reduced in PwP when compared to controls. Differences were found in two phyla (Synergistetes and Proteobacteria; both increased in PwP), and five genera (Colidextribacter, Intestinibacter, Kineothrix, Agathobaculum, and Roseburia; all decreased in PwP). Within the PD cohort, there was no association identified between microbial composition and gender, constipation or use of gastrointestinal medication. Furthermore, KEGG analysis identified 15 upregulated and 11 downregulated metabolic pathways which were predicted to be significantly altered in PwP.Conclusion: This study provides the first comprehensive characterization of the gut microbiome and predicted functional metabolic effects in a southern hemisphere PD population, further exploring the possible mechanisms whereby the gut microbiota may exert their influence on this disease, and providing evidence for the incorporation of such data in future individualized therapeutic strategies.
Highlights
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder thought to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors
Within the people with PD (PwP) cohort, participants had a mean MDS-UPDRS III score of 23.4 ± 15.7, and Hoehn and Yahr scores ranged from stage 1–5, with 19.5, 62.1, 13.8, 3.4, and 1.1% falling into each stage respectively
While it is clear that additional studies are required to elucidate the complex role of the gut microbiota and how they influence host functional pathways in PwP, the results of the present study illuminate a number of areas of interest that present as promising targets to be further explored
Summary
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder thought to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Given the interface between environmental factors and the GI tract, and its potential role in prodromal symptoms of the disease, research has increasingly focused on the gut microbiota as a potential regulator in the origin and pathogenesis of PD. There is evidence that an unbalanced pro-inflammatory (“dysbiotic”) microbiota may adversely affect the host, resulting in disease (Schippa and Conte, 2014). Disruptions to the balanced ecosystem of the gut microbiota can result in increased inflammation in the GI tract, commonly presenting as GI symptoms. These disruptions may be triggered by factors including poor diet and exercise patterns, and chemical and pesticide exposure, which may increase the risk of developing PD (Nandipati and Litvan, 2016). The present study characterized the gut microbiota and associated changes in host metabolic pathways in an Australian cohort of people with PD (PwP)
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