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Recent Research in Gut Microbiota–Gut–Brain Axis
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Recent Research in Gut Microbiota–Gut–Brain Axis

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 2150

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ying Han

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
Interests: neuroscience; sleep disorders; neuroimmunity; gut microbiota-gut-brain axis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The microbiome is a complex ecosystem consisting of viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa and archaea resides in the human digestive track, respiratory system, and on skin surfaces. Various factors can disrupt the abundance of microbiota and affect its diversity and function, including the environment and various external factors, such as lifestyle, stress, and medical interventions. With the development of sequencing and multi-omics analysis technology, researchers are carrying out extensive research to elucidate microbiota biology, and reveal their critical role in the pathophysiology of depression, sleep disorders, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and other neuropsychiatric disorders.

The microbiota–gut–brain axis is an important pathway for central/peripheral interactions. Bidirectional communication between the brain and the gut can be achieved through metabolic/endocrine, immune, and neuronal pathways, and these pathways are highly complex and interconnected. The afferent vagus nerve can sense and recognize metabolic and immune activity through peripheral transmitters, hormones, fatty acids, and inflammatory factors. Physiological and pathological products in the gut can be transmitted to the brain through the intestinal and blood–brain barriers, providing another pathway of communication from the gut to the brain. Identifying the key mediators between the gut microbiome and the central nervous system and clarifying the precise mechanisms are important for developing novel approaches to treat the related disorders.

This Special Issue is aimed at publishing high-quality pre-clinical and clinical research exploring the compositional and functional (e.g., metabolite) changes in gut microbiota that are associated with the development of neuropsychiatric disorders, and investigating the novel molecular and cellular mediators for signaling across the microbiota–gut–brain axis in health and disease. A variety of formats of publications, including original research articles, reviews, meta-analyses, and case reports, are welcome.

Dr. Ying Han
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • microbiota
  • dysbiosis
  • microbiota–gut–brain axis
  • short-chain fatty acid
  • immune pathway
  • vagus nerve
  • neuropsychiatric disorders
  • depression

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 965 KiB  
Article
The Probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri Preferentially Synthesizes Kynurenic Acid from Kynurenine
by Robert Schwarcz, Ann Foo, Korrapati V. Sathyasaikumar and Francesca M. Notarangelo
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(7), 3679; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25073679 - 26 Mar 2024
Viewed by 599
Abstract
The gut–brain axis is increasingly understood to play a role in neuropsychiatric disorders. The probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus (L.) reuteri and products of tryptophan degradation, specifically the neuroactive kynurenine pathway (KP) metabolite kynurenic acid (KYNA), have received special attention in this context. We, therefore, [...] Read more.
The gut–brain axis is increasingly understood to play a role in neuropsychiatric disorders. The probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus (L.) reuteri and products of tryptophan degradation, specifically the neuroactive kynurenine pathway (KP) metabolite kynurenic acid (KYNA), have received special attention in this context. We, therefore, assessed relevant features of KP metabolism, namely, the cellular uptake of the pivotal metabolite kynurenine and its conversion to its primary products KYNA, 3-hydroxykynurenine and anthranilic acid in L. reuteri by incubating the bacteria in Hank’s Balanced Salt solution in vitro. Kynurenine readily entered the bacterial cells and was preferentially converted to KYNA, which was promptly released into the extracellular milieu. De novo production of KYNA increased linearly with increasing concentrations of kynurenine (up to 1 mM) and bacteria (107 to 109 CFU/mL) and with incubation time (1–3 h). KYNA neosynthesis was blocked by two selective inhibitors of mammalian kynurenine aminotransferase II (PF-048559989 and BFF-122). In contrast to mammals, however, kynurenine uptake was not influenced by other substrates of the mammalian large neutral amino acid transporter, and KYNA production was not affected by the presumed competitive enzyme substrates (glutamine and α-aminoadipate). Taken together, these results reveal substantive qualitative differences between bacterial and mammalian KP metabolism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research in Gut Microbiota–Gut–Brain Axis)
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Review

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22 pages, 4105 KiB  
Review
Mind, Mood and Microbiota—Gut–Brain Axis in Psychiatric Disorders
by Corneliu Toader, Nicolaie Dobrin, Daniel Costea, Luca-Andrei Glavan, Razvan-Adrian Covache-Busuioc, David-Ioan Dumitrascu, Bogdan-Gabriel Bratu, Horia-Petre Costin and Alexandru Vlad Ciurea
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(6), 3340; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25063340 - 15 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1165
Abstract
Psychiatric disorders represent a primary source of disability worldwide, manifesting as disturbances in individuals’ cognitive processes, emotional regulation, and behavioral patterns. In the quest to discover novel therapies and expand the boundaries of neuropharmacology, studies from the field have highlighted the gut microbiota’s [...] Read more.
Psychiatric disorders represent a primary source of disability worldwide, manifesting as disturbances in individuals’ cognitive processes, emotional regulation, and behavioral patterns. In the quest to discover novel therapies and expand the boundaries of neuropharmacology, studies from the field have highlighted the gut microbiota’s role in modulating these disorders. These alterations may influence the brain’s processes through the brain–gut axis, a multifaceted bidirectional system that establishes a connection between the enteric and central nervous systems. Thus, probiotic and prebiotic supplements that are meant to influence overall gut health may play an insightful role in alleviating psychiatric symptoms, such as the cognitive templates of major depressive disorder, anxiety, or schizophrenia. Moreover, the administration of psychotropic drugs has been revealed to induce specific changes in a microbiome’s diversity, suggesting their potential utility in combating bacterial infections. This review emphasizes the intricate correlations between psychiatric disorders and the gut microbiota, mentioning the promising approaches in regard to the modulation of probiotic and prebiotic treatments, as well as the antimicrobial effects of psychotropic medication. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research in Gut Microbiota–Gut–Brain Axis)
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