Mouse strain-specific responses along the gut-brain axis upon fecal microbiota transplantation from children with autism

On behalf of the GEMMA Consortium

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Abstract

Several factors are linked to the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorders (ASD); however, the molecular mechanisms of the condition remain unknown. As intestinal problems and gut microbiota dysbiosis are associated with ASD development and severity, recent studies have focused on elucidating the microbiota-gut-brain axis’ involvement. This study aims to explore mechanisms through which gut microbiota might influence ASD. Briefly, we depleted the microbiota of conventional male BALB/cAnNCrl (Balb/c) and C57BL/6J (BL/6) mice prior to human fecal microbiota transplantation (hFMT) with samples from children with ASD or their neurotypical siblings. We found mouse strain-specific responses to ASD hFMT. Notably, Balb/c mice exhibit decreased exploratory and social behavior, and show evidence of intestinal, systemic, and central inflammation accompanied with metabolic shifts. BL/6 mice show less changes after hFMT. Our results reveal that gut microbiota alone induce changes in ASD-like behavior, and highlight the importance of mouse strain selection when investigating multifactorial conditions like ASD.

Original languageEnglish
Article number2447822
Pages (from-to)1-25
Number of pages25
JournalGut microbes
Volume17
Issue number1
Early online date7 Jan 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Keywords

  • autism spectrum disorders
  • Fecal microbiota transplantation
  • gut-brain axis
  • humanized mouse model

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