Alterations of the Gut Microbiota in Multiple System Atrophy Patients

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Microbiology
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with challenging pathogenesis.
• The brain-gut-microbiota axis is increasingly recognized for its role in neurological disorders.
• Research on gut microbiota alterations in MSA using metagenomic sequencing is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize gut microbial composition and function in Chinese MSA patients.
• To identify specific microbial taxa and pathways associated with MSA.
• To explore the role of the gut-brain axis in MSA pathophysiology.

Main Methods:

• Metagenomic sequencing of fecal samples from 15 MSA patients and 15 healthy controls.
• Analysis of microbial community composition and functional pathways using the KEGG database.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in gut microbial communities between MSA patients and healthy controls.
• Increased abundance of genera *Akkermansia* and species *Roseburia hominis*, *Akkermansia muciniphila*, *Alistipes onderdonkii*, *Streptococcus parasanguinis*, and *Staphylococcus xylosus* in MSA patients.
• Decreased abundance of genera *Megamonas*, *Bifidobacterium*, *Blautia*, *Aggregatibacter* and species *Bacteroides coprocola*, *Megamonas funiformis*, *Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum*, *Clostridium nexile*, *Bacteroides plebeius*, and *Granulicatella adiacens* in MSA patients.
• Aberrant functional pathways identified in the fecal microbiome of MSA patients.

Conclusions:

• Evidence of gut microbiota dysbiosis in Chinese MSA cohorts.
• Findings support the involvement of the gut-brain axis in MSA.
• This study provides a foundation for developing new hypotheses on MSA pathophysiology.