AUTHOR=Kenna Jade E. , Chua Eng Guan , Bakeberg Megan , Tay Alfred , McGregor Sarah , Gorecki Anastazja , Horne Malcolm , Marshall Barry , Mastaglia Frank L. , Anderton Ryan S. 

TITLE=Changes in the Gut Microbiome and Predicted Functional Metabolic Effects in an Australian Parkinson’s Disease Cohort

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neuroscience

VOLUME=Volume 15 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2021.756951

DOI=10.3389/fnins.2021.756951

ISSN=1662-453X

ABSTRACT=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. To this end, the present study characterised 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). Furthermore, KEGG analysis identified 15 upregulated and 11 downregulated metabolic pathways which were predicted to be significantly altered in PwP.
Conclusions: This study provides the first comprehensive characterisation of the gut microbiome and predicted host functional metabolic effects in a random PD population from the southern hemisphere, and helps to further explore the possible mechanisms whereby the gut microbiota may exert their influence on the gut-brain axis in PD.