The adoptive transfer of behavioral phenotype via the intestinal microbiota: experimental evidence and clinical implications
Current opinion in microbiology, 2013•Elsevier
Highlights•Behavioral phenotype can be transferred via the intestinal microbiota in
mice.•Changes in behavior in recipient mice are accompanied by changes in brain
chemistry.•Investigation of the intestinal microbiome in central nervous system (CNS)
disorders is warranted.•Donor screening for fecal transplants should exclude CNS and
psychiatric illness.•Intestinal commensal bacteria or their products may be used to treat CNS
disorders.There is growing interest in the ability of the intestinal microbiome to influence host …
mice.•Changes in behavior in recipient mice are accompanied by changes in brain
chemistry.•Investigation of the intestinal microbiome in central nervous system (CNS)
disorders is warranted.•Donor screening for fecal transplants should exclude CNS and
psychiatric illness.•Intestinal commensal bacteria or their products may be used to treat CNS
disorders.There is growing interest in the ability of the intestinal microbiome to influence host …
Highlights
- Behavioral phenotype can be transferred via the intestinal microbiota in mice.
- Changes in behavior in recipient mice are accompanied by changes in brain chemistry.
- Investigation of the intestinal microbiome in central nervous system (CNS) disorders is warranted.
- Donor screening for fecal transplants should exclude CNS and psychiatric illness.
- Intestinal commensal bacteria or their products may be used to treat CNS disorders.
There is growing interest in the ability of the intestinal microbiome to influence host function within and beyond the gastrointestinal tract. Here we review evidence of microbiome–brain interactions in mice and focus on the ability to transfer behavioral traits between mouse strains using fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). Transplantation alters brain chemistry and behavior in recipient ex-germ free mice, raising the possibility of using FMT for disorders of the central nervous system, and prompting caution in the selection of FMT donors for conditions that may include refractory Clostridium difficile infection, diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease in humans.
Elsevier