Primate Gut Microbes Causally Alter Mouse Brain Gene Expression, PNAS Study Finds

Overview

• Northwestern researchers transferred gut microbiota from human, squirrel monkey, and macaque donors into germ-free mice and analyzed brain changes after eight weeks.
• Microbes from larger-brained primates increased expression of genes tied to energy production and synaptic plasticity, while microbes from a smaller-brained primate showed reduced activity in these pathways.
• Host mouse brain gene-expression profiles partially mirrored patterns seen in the donor primate species.
• Mice receiving microbes from the smaller-brained primate exhibited gene signatures linked in prior research to ADHD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism, which the authors caution remain preliminary.
• The peer-reviewed study frames the results within an evolutionary context and identifies possible clinical leads, with further work needed to pinpoint responsible microbes, mechanisms, and human relevance.