Dopaminergic neurodegeneration in C. elegans cultivated with Porphorymonas gingivalis

Disruption of the human microbiome has emerged as a major contributing factor in the etiology of neurodegenerative disease. Previous work suggests a positive correlation between periodontal inflammation and Parkinson's disease. Here, we show that feeding C. elegans animals Porphorymonas gingivalis causes neurodegeneration that is not additive with neurodegeneration induced by the Parkinson's-associated protein, α-synuclein. In contrast, α-synuclein-expressing animals fed P. gingivalis show additional disruption in basal slowing, suggesting that P. gingivalis induces neurodegeneration while altering neuronal function of extant neurons. Though the mechanism is unclear, these results suggest a relationship between P. gingivalis and neurodegeneration that warrants further investigation.