Richa Prakash, Msc, Central University of Punjab
What is gut microbiota?
Microbiota is defined as the collection of microorganisms including all bacteria, archaea, viruses, protists, and fungi. The population of microbiota depends upon the environment they are present in. So, the name of the microbiota is always preceded by the environment they are surrounded by. For example, the microbiota residing in the intestinal tract or gut is known as gut microbiota. The human intestine contains the largest population of microorganisms and the assemblage is known as the gut microbiota. Bacteria start colonizing in the intestine when the fetus is in the lower uterus but its development starts after birth.
What is Autism?
Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder affecting the communication and behavior of children. It is called a spectrum disorder because the symptoms and severity vary person-to-person. The symptoms generally start in the first two years of age, that’s why it is called a developmental disorder. Children with Autism may face difficulty in communication and interaction with others and may show repetitive or restrictive behavior. But, with challenges, they may have some unique strengths including learning things in detail for a longer time, have strong visual and auditory powers, and have excellent academic performance. Isn’t that blessings in disguise?
The study:
According to a recent study done at The Chinese University of Hong Kong and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, published in the journal Gut, children with ASD have distinct and underdeveloped gut microbiota which is unrelated to the diet they take. In Asia, ASD is prevalent in 0.36% of children and adolescents, and 1.85% in western countries. Studies have suggested de novo mutations in ASD, but there is no specific gene identified for ASD. It has also been suggested that gut microbiota has a role in ASD. These microorganisms influence brain physiology via the gut-brain axis and affect social behaviour using pathways like activation of the immune system, microbial metabolites and peptides production, and neuromodulators and neurotransmitters production.
In the absence of a definitive medical test, diagnosing ASD is challenging and currently, it is based on physical assessment. So, potential fecal biomarkers being used for the prediction of ASD could be of great interest for the treatment and intervention. For the study, researchers compared the composition and function of gut microbiota of children with autism and children having no developmental issues or typically developing children. They performed deep metagenomic sequencing in the stool samples obtained from a total of 128 children, 64 children with ASD and 64 typically developing children of age between 3 and 6.
New findings:
- Chronological age, ASD, and BMI (Body Mass Index) were most strongly associated with the composition of gut microbiota. And, these factors are independent of each other.
- Interestingly, the diet had no relation with the composition of gut microbiota.
- The faecal samples of children with ASD had a richer microbial composition as compared to age and BMI matched children with typical development.
- Children with ASD were rich in the bacterial genus Clostridium, Coprobacillus, and Dialister but the butyrate-producing genus Faecalibacterium were decreased in them. Clostridium has been reported to be producing clostridial toxins leading to neurological disorders and brain tissue damage.
- The microbial composition of the gut in children with ASD was distinct and heterogeneous compared to children without ASD. And, 5 species mostly accounting for this distinction were Alistipes indistinctus, Streptococcus cristatus, Eubacterium limosum, Streptococcus oligofermentans, and candidate division_TM7_isolate_TM7c. Researchers validated these biomarkers with a separate study with 18 children, 8 with ASD and 10 without ASD. They suggested these distinctions could be used as a non-invasive screening tool for ASD.
- Changes in the gut bacterium ecological network indicated the altered interspecies communication in children with ASD.
- The pathways responsible for the biosynthesis of neurotransmitters were reduced in children with ASD.
- Researchers identified 26 age-discriminatory bacterial species as proxies of typical development of gut microbiota of children with age. But, the abundances of these species were substantially decreased in children with ASD suggesting the underdevelopment of gut microbiota during their childhood growth.
Conclusion:
The gut microbiota of children with ASD is distinctive and underdeveloped as compared to that of children of the same age with normal development. The distinction in gut microbiota development during early childhood may have functional roles in the pathogenesis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Future Perspective:
- The study suggests a potential role of faecal bacterial marker and bacterial development profile related to age in the non-invasive screening of ASD.
- Future therapeutics may target reconstituting the gut microbiota and increasing the abundance of neurotransmitter-synthesized bacteria in children detected with ASD in their early childhood.
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References:
- Wan, Y., Zuo, T., Xu, Z., Zhang, F., Zhan, H., Dorothy, C. H. A. N., … & Ng, S. C. (2021). Underdevelopment of the gut microbiota and bacteria species as non-invasive markers of prediction in children with autism spectrum disorder. Gut. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2020-324015
- National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Autism Spectrum Disorder. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-disorders-asd/
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Author info:
Richa Prakash is a passionate life science researcher with a post-graduation in Life Sciences with a specialization in Microbial Sciences from the Central University of Punjab and graduation in Biotechnology from Amity University Rajasthan. Currently working as a scientific content writer and aiming for a PhD. Her research fields of interest are microbiology, molecular biology, and genetic engineering.
LinkedIn Profile Link: www.linkedin.com/in/richa-prakash-rp
Publication: Singh, H., Das, S., Gupta, P. P., Batra, S., Prakash, R., Srivastava, V. K., … & Kaushik, S. (2020). Binding of metronidazole to Enterococcus faecalis homoserine kinase: Binding studies, docking studies, and molecular dynamics simulation studies. Pharmacognosy Magazine, 16(5), 553. https://www.phcog.com/text.asp?2020/16/5/553/301892
Publications at BioXone:
- Prakash, R. (2021, July 28). Chronic lung diseases patients are “primed” for severe Coronavirus infections. BioXone. https://bioxone.in/news/worldnews/people-with-chronic-lung-diseases-are-primed-for-severe-coronavirus-infections/
- Prakash, R. (2021, July 10). The journey that led to the discovery of Bryum bharatiensis. BioXone. https://bioxone.in/news/worldnews/the-journey-that-led-to-the-discovery-bryum-bharatiensis/
- Prakash, R. (2021, July 8). Surgical masks provide substantial reduction in disease transmission despite edge leaks. BioXone. https://bioxone.in/news/worldnews/surgical-masks-provide-substantial-reduction-in-disease-transmission-despite-edge-leaks/
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