Abstract
Recent studies suggest that alterations in the gut phagobiota may contribute to pathophysiological processes in mammals; however, the association of bacteriophage community structure with Parkinson’s disease (PD) has not been yet characterized. Towards this end, we used a published dataset to analyse bacteriophage composition and determine the phage/bacteria ratio in faecal samples from drug-naive PD patients and healthy participants. Our analyses revealed significant alterations in the representation of certain bacteriophages in the phagobiota of PD patients. We identified shifts of the phage/bacteria ratio in lactic acid bacteria known to produce dopamine and regulate intestinal permeability, which are major factors implicated in PD pathogenesis. Furthermore, we observed the depletion of Lactococcus spp. in the PD group, which was most likely due to the increase of lytic c2-like and 936-like lactococcal phages frequently present in dairy products. Our findings add bacteriophages to the list of possible factors associated with the development of PD, suggesting that gut phagobiota composition may serve as a diagnostic tool as well as a target for therapeutic intervention, which should be confirmed in further studies. Our results open a discussion on the role of environmental phages and phagobiota composition in health and disease.
Highlights
Recent studies suggest that alterations in the gut phagobiota may contribute to pathophysiological processes in mammals; the association of bacteriophage community structure with Parkinson’s disease (PD) has not been yet characterized
We have shown that the abundance of lytic Lactococcus phages in PD patients significantly differed from that of healthy individuals, most likely being a cause for the detected shift in neurotransmitter-producing Lactococcus and opening a discussion on the possible role of phages and implications of the phagobiota in PD
Metagenome sequencing has greatly facilitated the investigation of the human microbiome; current understanding of the role of microbiota in health and disease mainly comes from the analysis of diversity and abundance of bacterial species, whereas little is known about those of bacteriophages[44]
Summary
Recent studies suggest that alterations in the gut phagobiota may contribute to pathophysiological processes in mammals; the association of bacteriophage community structure with Parkinson’s disease (PD) has not been yet characterized. Towards this end, we used a published dataset to analyse bacteriophage composition and determine the phage/bacteria ratio in faecal samples from drug-naive PD patients and healthy participants. According to this model, PD starts in the ENS and spreads in a retrograde manner through the vagus nerve to the central nervous system[16,18,19]. Associated with activation of enteric neurons and enteric glial may contribute to the initiation of alpha-synuclein misfolding[17]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
