ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol.
Sec. Intestinal Microbiome
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1574660
Parasite-Mediated Alteration of Behaviour and Biomolecular Dynamics in a Mouse Model
Provisionally accepted
- National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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We used RIN14B cells as an enterochromaffin cell model to determine whether BhTnaA upregulates serotonin synthesis and associated gene expression. Murine models colonized with multiple Blastocystis ST7 isolates were used to study altered serotonin metabolite levels in the gut. Analysis of mouse behavioral changes was done through the Light Box, Tail Suspension, and Open Field tests.We demonstrated that the tryptophan produced by BhTnaA upregulates serotonin synthesis in EC cell models. In mice colonized with Blastocystis, increased tryptophan and serotonin levels were observed in the colon, a region of the gut inhabited by the parasites. Behavioral tests showed heightened anxiety in these mice, and a statistical correlation was identified between increases in the metabolites and observed anxiety behaviour.Discussion:Our study confirmed perturbation of gut tryptophan and serotonin levels by Blastocystis and showed a distinct correlation between this and increased anxiety in colonized mice. This provides a foundation for further investigation into the effects of these parasites on host physiology and the modulation of the gut-brain axis.
Keywords: Blastocystis: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:EAED31FF-9880-4311-9E19-25257588FBB2 Microbiology, Parasitology, gut-brain axis, Tryptophan, Serotonin, Blastocystis
Received: 11 Feb 2025; Accepted: 11 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Leonardi, Png, Bo, Wong, Rajagopal Iyer and Tan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Kevin SW Tan, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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