Short Chain Fatty Acids and the Gut-Brain Axis: A Look at Autism Spectrum Disorder
Start Date
April 2024
Location
2nd floor - Library
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by repetitive behaviors and defective social interactions. A link between the gut microbiome and autism has been found within the gut-brain-axis, with previous studies showing that patients with ASD have a significantly different gut composition and short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production. I examined the pathways to produce SCFAs most commonly utilized by bacteria in the gut microbiome by analyzing the enzymes and their amino acid sequence that codes for the reaction. The results indicate that there is high conservation within groups – both ASD-increased and ASD-decreased bacteria – but low conservation between groups, for both acetate and butyrate production pathways. Only one bacterial genus produced propionate using the pathway examined, which was within the ASD-increased group. My data suggests a close evolutionary relationship that separates bacteria from each other as it relates to SCFA production. It also proposes that there is an increase in propionate production by bacteria present in abundance in the ASD gut.
Short Chain Fatty Acids and the Gut-Brain Axis: A Look at Autism Spectrum Disorder
2nd floor - Library
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by repetitive behaviors and defective social interactions. A link between the gut microbiome and autism has been found within the gut-brain-axis, with previous studies showing that patients with ASD have a significantly different gut composition and short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production. I examined the pathways to produce SCFAs most commonly utilized by bacteria in the gut microbiome by analyzing the enzymes and their amino acid sequence that codes for the reaction. The results indicate that there is high conservation within groups – both ASD-increased and ASD-decreased bacteria – but low conservation between groups, for both acetate and butyrate production pathways. Only one bacterial genus produced propionate using the pathway examined, which was within the ASD-increased group. My data suggests a close evolutionary relationship that separates bacteria from each other as it relates to SCFA production. It also proposes that there is an increase in propionate production by bacteria present in abundance in the ASD gut.
