Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 7, 2026

Investigating Alterations in Caecum Microbiota After Traumatic Brain Injury in Mice
04:29

Investigating Alterations in Caecum Microbiota After Traumatic Brain Injury in Mice

Published on: September 19, 2019

6.8K

Neonatal Enteric Infection Disrupts the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis Through Pattern Recognition Receptors and Altered

Jungjae Park1, Olivia Orahood1, Maithili Banginwar1

  • 1Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Cell Biology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA.

Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|February 6, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Early gut infection impacts the microbiota-gut-brain axis long-term. Intestinal epithelial NOD1 signaling is crucial for immune response, barrier repair, and preventing lasting gut-brain dysfunction, with probiotic muropeptides showing therapeutic potential.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Early-life enteric infections can disrupt the microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis, leading to persistent health issues.
  • The role of specific host signaling pathways, like NOD1, in mediating these long-term effects remains incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) NOD1 signaling in coordinating mucosal immunity, barrier repair, and neuroimmune outcomes following early-life infection.
  • To determine if IEC NOD1 signaling influences long-term MGB axis remodeling and associated cognitive deficits.
  • To explore the therapeutic potential of NOD2 ligands in mitigating infection-induced inflammation.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a neonatal Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) infection model in wild-type (WT) and Nod1-deficient IEC (Nod1ΔIEC) mice.
  • Assessed ileal inflammation, barrier integrity, epithelial proliferation, and immune cell infiltration post-infection.
  • Evaluated long-term MGB axis effects in adulthood, including intestinal permeability, hippocampal inflammation, neurogenesis, and recognition memory.
  • Investigated the immunomodulatory effects of muropeptides derived from probiotic Lactobacillus species on EPEC-induced inflammation.

Main Results:

  • Neonatal EPEC infection in WT mice caused ileal inflammation, barrier defects, and reduced epithelial proliferation, which were blunted in Nod1ΔIEC mice.
  • In adult WT mice, neonatal infection led to persistent intestinal permeability, sustained inflammation, hippocampal inflammation, altered neurogenesis, and impaired recognition memory, largely absent in Nod1ΔIEC mice.
  • Microbially derived NOD2 ligands (muropeptides) from Lactobacillus attenuated EPEC-induced mucosal inflammation and chemokine induction without affecting bacterial load.

Conclusions:

  • IEC NOD1 signaling is a critical determinant of long-term MGB axis remodeling following early-life enteric infection.
  • Disruption of IEC NOD1 signaling prevents persistent gut-brain dysfunction and associated cognitive deficits.
  • Probiotic-derived muropeptides represent a potential therapeutic strategy for modulating host-directed immune responses to gut infections.
Keywords:
Enteric nervous systemEnteric pathogensGut-BrainMuropeptidePattern recognition receptorsProbiotics

More Related Videos

Confocal Imaging of Double-Stranded RNA and Pattern Recognition Receptors in Negative-Sense RNA Virus Infection06:44

Confocal Imaging of Double-Stranded RNA and Pattern Recognition Receptors in Negative-Sense RNA Virus Infection

Published on: January 26, 2019

8.4K
A Method to Assess Bacteriocin Effects on the Gut Microbiota of Mice07:54

A Method to Assess Bacteriocin Effects on the Gut Microbiota of Mice

Published on: July 25, 2017

14.7K

Related Concept Videos

Physiology of Enteric Nervous System and Gut Health01:05

Physiology of Enteric Nervous System and Gut Health

The gastrointestinal tract, responsible for the digestion and absorption of nutrients, is safeguarded by the intestinal barrier, which consists of secretory, physical, and immune components. At the forefront is the secretory barrier, composed of essential elements such as mucus, gut microbiota, and defense proteins. They collaborate to break down food particles, facilitate nutrient absorption, and maintain optimal gut health. These secretory components ensure the smooth functioning of the...
1.0K
¹H NMR Signal Multiplicity: Splitting Patterns01:13

¹H NMR Signal Multiplicity: Splitting Patterns

When protons A and X are coupled, their nuclear spin energy levels are slightly modified. This is because the energy required to excite proton A to a spin state parallel to proton X is slightly different from the energy required for it to become anti-parallel to spin X. Consequently, there are two possible excitation frequencies for A (A1 and A2), depending on the spin state of X, and vice versa. The mutual nature of coupling implies that the difference between frequencies A1 and A2, indicated...
6.9K
Signal Sequences and Sorting Receptors01:41

Signal Sequences and Sorting Receptors

Signal sequences are short amino acid sequences that guide newly synthesized proteins to their proper location within the cell. Classical signal sequences are fifteen to sixty amino acids long and present at the N-terminus of a polypeptide chain. Each signal sequence has a conserved segment of basic residues towards their N terminus, a hydrophobic core, and a C-terminus rich in polar residues. The C-terminus also contains a signal cleavage site and features a -3 -1 sequence motif. The -3-1...
15.4K
Insulin: The Receptor and Signaling Pathways01:28

Insulin: The Receptor and Signaling Pathways

Insulin action is mediated through a receptor tyrosine kinase, akin to the IGF-1 receptor. The number of receptors per cell varies significantly, from 40 on erythrocytes to 300,000 on adipocytes and hepatocytes. The insulin receptor consists of linked α/β subunit dimers, forming a heterotetramer glycoprotein with two extracellular α subunits and two β subunits spanning the membrane. The α subunits inhibit the inherent tyrosine kinase activity of the β subunits, but...
3.3K
Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis01:37

Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis

The response to stress—be it physical or psychological, acute or chronic—involves activation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis is part of the neuroendocrine system because it involves both neuronal and hormonal communication. Its function is to regulate homeostatic systems—metabolic, cardiovascular, and immune—providing the necessary means to respond to a stressor.
66.3K
Alterations in Respiration II01:30

Alterations in Respiration II

There are numerous types of normal and abnormal respiration. Based on ventilatory movements, breathing patterns are classified as regular, deep, or shallow. Examples include Biot's breathing, Cheyne-Stokes respiration, Kussmaul's breathing, hyperventilation, and hypoventilation. Each pattern is clinically significant and aids in evaluating patients.
In Biot's breathing, the respiratory rate and depth are irregular, alternating between periods of deep gasping and apnea. Common causes...
1.8K