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. 2023 Dec;15(2):2283911.
doi: 10.1080/19490976.2023.2283911. Epub 2023 Nov 27.

Nuanced contribution of gut microbiome in the early brain development of mice

Xin Yi Yeo  1   2 , Woo Ri Chae  1   3 , Hae Ung Lee  4 , Han-Gyu Bae  5 , Sven Pettersson  4   6   7 , Joanes Grandjean  8   9 , Weiping Han  1 , Sangyong Jung  1   10   11
Affiliations

Nuanced contribution of gut microbiome in the early brain development of mice

Xin Yi Yeo et al. Gut Microbes. 2023 Dec.

Abstract

The complex symbiotic relationship between the mammalian body and gut microbiome plays a critical role in the health outcomes of offspring later in life. The gut microbiome modulates virtually all physiological functions through direct or indirect interactions to maintain physiological homeostasis. Previous studies indicate a link between maternal/early-life gut microbiome, brain development, and behavioral outcomes relating to social cognition. Here we present direct evidence of the role of the gut microbiome in brain development. Through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we investigated the impact of the gut microbiome on brain organization and structure using germ-free (GF) mice and conventionalized mice, with the gut microbiome reintroduced after weaning. We found broad changes in brain volume in GF mice that persist despite the reintroduction of gut microbes at weaning. These data suggest a direct link between the maternal gut or early-postnatal microbe and their impact on brain developmental programming.

Keywords: Germ-free mice; MRI; brain development; early-life alteration; gut microbiome.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Widespread alterations in the subcortical brain volume of germ free (GF) mice.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Conventionalisation of GF mice post-weaning does not reverse majority of the brain volume changes in GF mice.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Brain regions sensitive toward gut microbe-dependent biochemical changes are affected by the reintroduction of gut microbiome.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Ablation of gut microbiota persistently affects brain development in young adult mice.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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