Cited by 1,900Gut microbiota and healthTryptophan and brain disordersNeuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms

Interactions between the microbiota, immune and nervous systems in health and disease

Open access
Fung, Thomas C, Olson, Christine A, Hsiao, Elaine Y·2017·Nature Neuroscience

Abstract

The diverse collection of microorganisms that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract, collectively called the gut microbiota, profoundly influences many aspects of host physiology, including nutrient metabolism, resistance to infection and immune system development. Studies investigating the gut–brain axis demonstrate a critical role for the gut microbiota in orchestrating brain development and behavior, and the immune system is emerging as an important regulator of these interactions. Intestinal microbes modulate the maturation and function of tissue-resident immune cells in the CNS. Microbes also influence the activation of peripheral immune cells, which regulate responses to neuroinflammation, brain injury, autoimmunity and neurogenesis. Accordingly, both the gut microbiota and immune system are implicated in the etiopathogenesis or manifestation of neurodevelopmental, psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases, such as autism spectrum disorder, depression and Alzheimer's disease. In this review, we discuss the role of CNS-resident and peripheral immune pathways in microbiota–gut–brain communication during health and neurological disease.

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Crossref · 10.1038/nn.4476

Cites

157 of 157 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Modulation of gut physiology by the central nervous system and its effects on gut function such as motility, secretion, blood flow, nociception, and immune function during neurological stressors are well-documented.

    “The modulation of gut physiology by the CNS and its effects on gut function such as motility, secretion, blood flow, nociception, and immune function during neurological stressors are well-documented (17, 29, 30).”

    From The Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids From Gut Microbiota in Gut-Brain Communication (2020) · cites this paper as [17]

    The Neuroendocrine pathways section says stress-related CNS signaling can alter intestinal motility, mucus production, and immune responses. The Neuronal signaling section also describes CNS control of motility and the intestinal immune environment. These passages do not establish the claimed effects on gut blood flow or nociception, or secretion generally; page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Several bacterial strains can modify levels of neurotransmitter precursors in the gut lumen and even independently synthesize or modulate the synthesis of neurotransmitters including GABA, serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline.

    “several bacterial strains can modify levels of neurotransmitter precursors in the gut lumen and even independently synthesize (or modulate the synthesis of) a number of neurotransmitters, including γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), serotonin (5-HT), dopamine (DA), and noradrenaline (NA) (16–18).”

    From The Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids From Gut Microbiota in Gut-Brain Communication (2020) · cites this paper as [17]

    The “Bacteria-derived and host-derived products” section (page not provided) says that particular gut microbes can synthesize neurotransmitters de novo and that microbiota regulate serotonin, GABA, norepinephrine and dopamine pathways. It does not say that bacterial strains alter neurotransmitter precursor levels in the gut lumen, or that they independently synthesize each of the four named neurotransmitters. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The gut microbiota can interact with the central nervous system via gut modulation or directly via metabolites and endotoxin translocation from the lumen to the circulation.

    “the gut microbiota can interact with the CNS via gut modulation or directly via metabolites and endotoxin translocation from the lumen to the circulation (9, 17, 21).”

    From The Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids From Gut Microbiota in Gut-Brain Communication (2020) · cites this paper as [17]

    The ‘Bacteria-derived and host-derived products’ section (page unavailable) says gut bacteria influence brain function through gut signaling and that circulating metabolites can enter the CNS. It also reports systemic detection of microbiota-derived TLR ligands during chronic inflammatory disorders, but does not establish the claimed direct route of endotoxin translocation from the gut lumen to the circulation and onward to the CNS; it says evidence for microbiota-derived products triggering CNS inflammation is limited. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Butyrate is capable of inducing T regulatory cell differentiation and controlling inflammation.

    “butyrate is capable of inducing Treg differentiation and controlling inflammation (17, 23, 24, 87).”

    From The Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids From Gut Microbiota in Gut-Brain Communication (2020) · cites this paper as [17]

    The “CNS inflammation and injury” section reports that treating mice with short-chain fatty acids reduced EAE and axonal damage through increased Treg differentiation. It does not identify butyrate specifically as responsible for those effects; the “Microglia” section lists butyrate as an SCFA but calls for further study of particular SCFAs. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Short-chain fatty acids that cross into the central nervous system have neuroactive properties.

    “Accumulating evidence suggests that SCFAs that cross into the CNS have neuroactive properties.”

    From The Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids From Gut Microbiota in Gut-Brain Communication (2020) · cites this paper as [17]

    The ‘Bacteria-derived and host-derived products’ section (page unavailable) says circulating metabolites can enter the CNS and directly affect neuroactivity. But it does not identify those metabolites as SCFAs; the ‘Microglia’ section (page unavailable) says whether SCFAs act through direct signaling remains unclear. The source therefore supports the general mechanism, not the SCFA-specific claim. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Cites

1 retracted

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [140]Keshavarzian A Colonic bacterial composition in Parkinson’s disease. Mov. Disord 30, 1351– 1360 (2015). 26179554

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Authors
Fung, T. C., Olson, C. A., & Hsiao, E. Y.
Affiliations
University of California, Los Angeles (US)
Corresponding author
Hsiao, Elaine Y
Venue
Nature Neuroscience
Published
2017-01-16
Volume
20
Issue
2
Pages
145-155
ISSN
  • 1097-6256 (ISSN-L)
  • 1546-1726
OpenAlex
W2572551054
Cited by
1,900
References
157
Citations by year
2026: 156 · 2025: 238 · 2024: 222 · 2023: 212 · 2022: 264 · 2021: 275 · 2020: 205 · 2019: 171 · 2018: 93 · 2017: 62 · 2013: 1
FWCI
13.58
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (DP5OD017924)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (F31MH090749)
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences (T32GM065823)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Biological Psychiatry › Tryptophan and brain disorders
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
Keywords
gut microbiota, gut-brain axis, microbiota-immune interactions, neuroinflammation, neurodevelopmental disorders, autism spectrum disorder, depression, Alzheimer's disease, neurodegenerative diseases, neurogenesis, brain injury, autoimmunity, peripheral immune cells, mental illness
MeSH terms
Autism Spectrum Disorder, Animals, Brain, Humans, Nervous System Diseases, Autoimmunity, Gastrointestinal Tract, Microbiota

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