Peripheral neuronal activation shapes the microbiome and alters gut physiology

From BugSigDB
Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by KateRasheed on 2025-4-30
study design
Citation
PMID PubMed identifier for scientific articles.
DOI Digital object identifier for electronic documents.
URI Uniform resource identifier for web resources.
Authors
Griffiths JA, Yoo BB, Thuy-Boun P, Cantu VJ, Weldon KC, Challis C, Sweredoski MJ, Chan KY, Thron TM, Sharon G, Moradian A, Humphrey G, Zhu Q, Shaffer JP, Wolan DW, Dorrestein PC, Knight R, Gradinaru V, Mazmanian SK
Journal
Cell reports
Year
2024
Keywords:
Akkermansia muciniphila, CP: Microbiology, CP: Neuroscience, cholinergic, dopaminergic, enteric nervous system, gut microbiome, gut motility, noradrenergic, peripheral nervous system
The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is innervated by intrinsic neurons of the enteric nervous system (ENS) and extrinsic neurons of the central nervous system and peripheral ganglia. The GI tract also harbors a diverse microbiome, but interactions between the ENS and the microbiome remain poorly understood. Here, we activate choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-expressing or tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-expressing gut-associated neurons in mice to determine effects on intestinal microbial communities and their metabolites as well as on host physiology. The resulting multi-omics datasets support broad roles for discrete peripheral neuronal subtypes in shaping microbiome structure, including modulating bile acid profiles and fungal colonization. Physiologically, activation of either ChAT+ or TH+ neurons increases fecal output, while only ChAT+ activation results in increased colonic contractility and diarrhea-like fluid secretion. These findings suggest that specific subsets of peripherally activated neurons differentially regulate the gut microbiome and GI physiology in mice without involvement of signals from the brain.

Experiment 1


Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by KateRasheed on 2025-4-30

Curated date: 2025/04/17

Curator: PreciousChijioke

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke, KateRasheed

Subjects

Location of subjects
United States of America
Host species Species from which microbiome was sampled. Contact us to have more species added.
Mus musculus
Body site Anatomical site where microbial samples were extracted from according to the Uber Anatomy Ontology
Cecum mucosa Caecum mucosa,Caecum mucosa of organ,Caecum mucous membrane,Caecum organ mucosa,Cecal mucosa,Cecum mucosa of organ,Cecum mucous membrane,Cecum organ mucosa,Intestinum crassum caecum mucosa,Intestinum crassum caecum mucosa of organ,Intestinum crassum caecum mucous membrane,Intestinum crassum caecum organ mucosa,Mucosa of caecum,Mucosa of cecum,Mucosa of intestinum crassum caecum,Mucosa of organ of caecum,Mucosa of organ of cecum,Mucosa of organ of intestinum crassum caecum,Mucous membrane of caecum,Mucous membrane of cecum,Mucous membrane of intestinum crassum caecum,Organ mucosa of caecum,Organ mucosa of cecum,Organ mucosa of intestinum crassum caecum,Cecum mucosa,cecum mucosa
Condition The experimental condition / phenotype studied according to the Experimental Factor Ontology
Peripheral neuron Peripheral neuron,peripheral neuron
Group 0 name Corresponds to the control (unexposed) group for case-control studies
Control mice
Group 1 name Corresponds to the case (exposed) group for case-control studies
ChAT+ (Choline acetyltransferase) -activated mice
Group 1 definition Diagnostic criteria applied to define the specific condition / phenotype represented in the case (exposed) group
ChAT+ (Choline acetyltransferase) -activated mice were treated with C21 ( compound 21) (3 mg/kg) administered daily for 10 consecutive days.

Lab analysis

Sequencing type
WMS
16S variable region One or more hypervariable region(s) of the bacterial 16S gene
Not specified
Sequencing platform Manufacturer and experimental platform used for quantifying microbial abundance
Illumina

Statistical Analysis

Data transformation Data transformation applied to microbial abundance measurements prior to differential abundance testing (if any).
relative abundances
Statistical test
LEfSe
Significance threshold p-value or FDR threshold used for differential abundance testing (if any)
0.05
MHT correction Have statistical tests be corrected for multiple hypothesis testing (MHT)?
No
LDA Score above Threshold for the linear discriminant analysis (LDA) score for studies using the popular LEfSe tool
2


Signature 1

Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by KateRasheed on 2025-4-30

Curated date: 2025/04/17

Curator: PreciousChijioke

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke, KateRasheed

Source: Fig 2K

Description: Gut-associated ChAT+ and TH+ neuronal activation alters the gut microbiome

Abundance in Group 1: increased abundance in ChAT+ (Choline acetyltransferase) -activated mice

NCBI Quality ControlLinks
Akkermansiaceae
Bifidobacteriaceae
Marinilabiliaceae

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke, KateRasheed

Signature 2

Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by KateRasheed on 2025-4-30

Curated date: 2025/04/17

Curator: PreciousChijioke

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke

Source: Fig 2K

Description: Gut-associated ChAT+ and TH+ neuronal activation alters the gut microbiome

Abundance in Group 1: decreased abundance in ChAT+ (Choline acetyltransferase) -activated mice

NCBI Quality ControlLinks
Barnesiellaceae
Clostridiaceae
Enterococcaceae
Erysipelotrichaceae
Eubacteriaceae
Lachnospiraceae
Odoribacteraceae
Oscillospiraceae
Prevotellaceae
Rikenellaceae
Eubacteriales Family XIII. Incertae Sedis bacterium

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke

Experiment 2


Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by KateRasheed on 2025-4-30

Curated date: 2025/04/17

Curator: PreciousChijioke

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke, KateRasheed

Differences from previous experiment shown

Subjects

Group 1 name Corresponds to the case (exposed) group for case-control studies
TH+ (Tyrosine hydroxylase) -activated mice
Group 1 definition Diagnostic criteria applied to define the specific condition / phenotype represented in the case (exposed) group
TH+ (Tyrosine hydroxylase) -activated mice were treated with C21 ( compound 21) (3 mg/kg) administered daily for 10 consecutive days.

Lab analysis

Statistical Analysis

Signature 1

Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by KateRasheed on 2025-4-30

Curated date: 2025/04/17

Curator: PreciousChijioke

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke

Source: Fig 2M

Description: Gut-associated ChAT+ and TH+ neuronal activation alters the gut microbiome

Abundance in Group 1: increased abundance in TH+ (Tyrosine hydroxylase) -activated mice

NCBI Quality ControlLinks
Bacteroidaceae
Prevotellaceae
Tannerellaceae

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke

Signature 2

Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by KateRasheed on 2025-4-30

Curated date: 2025/04/17

Curator: PreciousChijioke

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke

Source: Fig 2M

Description: Gut-associated ChAT+ and TH+ neuronal activation alters the gut microbiome

Abundance in Group 1: decreased abundance in TH+ (Tyrosine hydroxylase) -activated mice

NCBI Quality ControlLinks
Eggerthellaceae
Lachnospiraceae

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke

Experiment 3


Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by KateRasheed on 2025-4-30

Curated date: 2025/04/17

Curator: PreciousChijioke

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke, KateRasheed

Differences from previous experiment shown

Subjects

Group 0 name Corresponds to the control (unexposed) group for case-control studies
Contol mice on day 10
Group 1 name Corresponds to the case (exposed) group for case-control studies
ChAT+ (Choline acetyltransferase) -activated mice on day 10
Group 1 definition Diagnostic criteria applied to define the specific condition / phenotype represented in the case (exposed) group
ChAT+ (Choline acetyltransferase) -activated mice were treated with C21 ( compound 21) (3 mg/kg) administered daily for 10 consecutive days.

Lab analysis

Statistical Analysis

Alpha Diversity

Faith Phylogenetic diversity, takes into account phylogenetic distance of all taxa identified in a sample
decreased

Signature 1

Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by KateRasheed on 2025-4-30

Curated date: 2025/04/17

Curator: PreciousChijioke

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke

Source: Fig S6

Description: Annotated changes in gut bacteria

Abundance in Group 1: increased abundance in ChAT+ (Choline acetyltransferase) -activated mice on day 10

NCBI Quality ControlLinks
Akkermansia muciniphila
Thomasclavelia spiroformis
Bacillus
Hoylesella timonensis
Bifidobacterium pseudolongum
Anaerostipes caccae

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke

Signature 2

Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by KateRasheed on 2025-4-30

Curated date: 2025/04/17

Curator: PreciousChijioke

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke

Source: Fig S6

Description: Annotated changes in gut bacteria

Abundance in Group 1: decreased abundance in ChAT+ (Choline acetyltransferase) -activated mice on day 10

NCBI Quality ControlLinks
Agathobaculum desmolans
Alistipes communis
Alistipes finegoldii
Alistipes putredinis
Alistipes senegalensis
Allofournierella massiliensis
Anaerotignum lactatifermentans
Anaerotruncus sp. G3(2012)
Bacteroides fragilis
Barnesiella viscericola
Blautia hansenii
Blautia obeum
Blautia sp. KLE 1732
Butyricimonas synergistica
Butyricimonas virosa
Clostridium sp. L2-50
Clostridium sp. SY8519
Coprococcus comes
Coprococcus eutactus
Dorea sp. 5-2
Eisenbergiella tayi
Enterococcus faecalis
Eubacterium plexicaudatum
Eubacterium sp. 14-2
Faecalicatena contorta
Firmicutes bacterium ASF500
Flavonifractor plautii
Hoylesella buccalis
Intestinimonas massiliensis (ex Afouda et al. 2020)
Lachnospiraceae bacterium 3-1
Lachnospiraceae bacterium A2
Marvinbryantia formatexigens
Merdimmobilis hominis
Oscillibacter sp. 1-3
Oscillibacter valericigenes
Roseburia hominis
Ruminococcus gauvreauii
Ruthenibacterium lactatiformans
Subdoligranulum variabile
[Clostridium] methylpentosum
[Clostridium] nexile
[Clostridium] symbiosum
Clostridium ASF536Clostridium ASF536
Candidatus Stoquefichus sp. SB1
Lachnospiraceae bacterium 10-1
Lachnospiraceae bacterium MA2020
Lachnospiraceae bacterium M18-1
Lachnospiraceae bacterium 28-4

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke

Experiment 4


Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by KateRasheed on 2025-4-30

Curated date: 2025/04/17

Curator: PreciousChijioke

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke, KateRasheed

Differences from previous experiment shown

Subjects

Group 0 name Corresponds to the control (unexposed) group for case-control studies
Control mice on day 10
Group 1 name Corresponds to the case (exposed) group for case-control studies
TH+ (Tyrosine hydroxylase) -activated mice on day 10
Group 1 definition Diagnostic criteria applied to define the specific condition / phenotype represented in the case (exposed) group
TH+ (Tyrosine hydroxylase) -activated mice were treated with C21 ( compound 21) (3 mg/kg) administered daily for 10 consecutive days.

Lab analysis

Statistical Analysis

Alpha Diversity

Faith Phylogenetic diversity, takes into account phylogenetic distance of all taxa identified in a sample
unchanged

Signature 1

Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by KateRasheed on 2025-4-30

Curated date: 2025/04/18

Curator: PreciousChijioke

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke

Source: Fig S6

Description: Annotated changes in gut bacteria

Abundance in Group 1: increased abundance in TH+ (Tyrosine hydroxylase) -activated mice on day 10

NCBI Quality ControlLinks
Desulfovibrio piger
Thomasclavelia spiroformis
Oscillibacter sp. KLE 1745
Mediterraneibacter gnavus
Intestinimonas butyriciproducens
Parabacteroides goldsteinii
Odoribacter laneus
Alistipes communis
Alistipes timonensis
Alistipes senegalensis
Bacteroides uniformis
Phocaeicola vulgatus
Bacteroides stercoris
Bacteroides salyersiae
Bacteroides pyogenes
Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron
Prevotella dentalis
Hoylesella enoeca

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke

Signature 2

Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by KateRasheed on 2025-4-30

Curated date: 2025/04/18

Curator: PreciousChijioke

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke

Source: Fig S6

Description: Annotated changes in gut bacteria

Abundance in Group 1: decreased abundance in TH+ (Tyrosine hydroxylase) -activated mice on day 10

NCBI Quality ControlLinks
Adlercreutzia caecimuris
Adlercreutzia mucosicola
Lachnospiraceae bacterium A2
Lachnospiraceae bacterium MD335
Mediterraneibacter massiliensis
Lachnospiraceae bacterium 28-4
Lachnospiraceae bacterium 2_1_46FAA

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke

Experiment 5


Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by KateRasheed on 2025-4-30

Curated date: 2025/04/18

Curator: PreciousChijioke

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke, KateRasheed

Differences from previous experiment shown

Subjects

Body site Anatomical site where microbial samples were extracted from according to the Uber Anatomy Ontology
Feces Cow dung,Cow pat,Droppings,Dung,Excrement,Excreta,Faeces,Fecal material,Fecal matter,Fewmet,Frass,Guano,Matières fécales@fr,Merde@fr,Ordure,Partie de la merde@fr,Piece of shit,Porción de mierda@es,Portion of dung,Portion of excrement,Portion of faeces,Portion of fecal material,Portion of fecal matter,Portion of feces,Portion of guano,Portion of scat,Portionem cacas,Scat,Spoor,Spraint,Stool,Teil der fäkalien@de,Feces,feces
Group 1 name Corresponds to the case (exposed) group for case-control studies
ChAT+ (Choline acetyltransferase) -activated mice on day 10
Group 1 definition Diagnostic criteria applied to define the specific condition / phenotype represented in the case (exposed) group
ChAT+ (Choline acetyltransferase) -activated mice were treated with C21 ( compound 21) (3 mg/kg) administered daily for 10 consecutive days.

Lab analysis

Statistical Analysis

Alpha Diversity

Faith Phylogenetic diversity, takes into account phylogenetic distance of all taxa identified in a sample
decreased

Signature 1

Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by KateRasheed on 2025-4-30

Curated date: 2025/04/18

Curator: PreciousChijioke

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke

Source: Fig S7

Description: Gut-Associated Activation-Meditated Changes in the Fecal Microbiome

Abundance in Group 1: increased abundance in ChAT+ (Choline acetyltransferase) -activated mice on day 10

NCBI Quality ControlLinks
Akkermansia
Akkermansiaceae
Verrucomicrobiales

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke

Signature 2

Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by KateRasheed on 2025-4-30

Curated date: 2025/04/19

Curator: PreciousChijioke

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke

Source: Fig S7

Description: Gut-Associated Activation-Meditated Changes in the Fecal Microbiome

Abundance in Group 1: decreased abundance in ChAT+ (Choline acetyltransferase) -activated mice on day 10

NCBI Quality ControlLinks
Adlercreutzia
Alistipes
Anaerofustis
Anaerotruncus
Barnesiella
Barnesiellaceae
Bifidobacteriaceae
Bifidobacteriales
Bifidobacterium
Blautia
Burkholderiales
Candidatus Stoquefichus
Cellulomonadaceae
Cellulomonas
Clostridiaceae
Clostridium
Coprobacter
Coprococcus
Dorea
Eisenbergiella
Enterococcaceae
Enterococcus
Erysipelotrichaceae
Erysipelotrichales
Eubacteriaceae
Eubacteriales
Eubacterium
Faecalicatena
Faecalitalea
Flavobacteriales
Intestinimonas
Lachnoclostridium
Lachnospiraceae
Lawsonia
Marinilabiliales
Marvinbryantia
Micrococcales
Oscillibacter
Oscillospiraceae
Parabacteroides
Parasutterella
Prevotella
Prevotellaceae
Pseudoflavonifractor
Rikenella
Rikenellaceae
Ruminiclostridium
Ruminococcus
Ruthenibacterium
Sellimonas
Spirochaetaceae
Spirochaetales
Sutterellaceae
Tannerellaceae
Treponema
Tyzzerella
Varicellovirus

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke

Experiment 6


Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by KateRasheed on 2025-4-30

Curated date: 2025/04/18

Curator: PreciousChijioke

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke, KateRasheed

Differences from previous experiment shown

Subjects

Group 0 name Corresponds to the control (unexposed) group for case-control studies
Control mice on day 6
Group 1 name Corresponds to the case (exposed) group for case-control studies
TH+ (Tyrosine hydroxylase) -activated mice on day 6
Group 1 definition Diagnostic criteria applied to define the specific condition / phenotype represented in the case (exposed) group
TH+ (Tyrosine hydroxylase) -activated mice were treated with C21 ( compound 21) (3 mg/kg) administered daily for 10 consecutive days.

Lab analysis

Statistical Analysis

Alpha Diversity

Faith Phylogenetic diversity, takes into account phylogenetic distance of all taxa identified in a sample
unchanged

Signature 1

Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by KateRasheed on 2025-4-30

Curated date: 2025/04/18

Curator: PreciousChijioke

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke

Source: Fig S7

Description: Gut-Associated Activation-Meditated Changes in the Fecal Microbiome

Abundance in Group 1: increased abundance in TH+ (Tyrosine hydroxylase) -activated mice on day 6

NCBI Quality ControlLinks
Parabacteroides
Tannerellaceae

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke

Signature 2

Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by KateRasheed on 2025-4-30

Curated date: 2025/04/18

Curator: PreciousChijioke

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke

Source: Fig S7

Description: Gut-Associated Activation-Meditated Changes in the Fecal Microbiome

Abundance in Group 1: decreased abundance in TH+ (Tyrosine hydroxylase) -activated mice on day 6

NCBI Quality ControlLinks
Blautia
Clostridioides
Clostridium
Eisenbergiella
Flavobacteriales
Pseudoflavonifractor
Streptococcaceae
Streptococcus
Fluvicola

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke

Experiment 7


Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by KateRasheed on 2025-4-30

Curated date: 2025/04/30

Curator: PreciousChijioke

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke, KateRasheed

Differences from previous experiment shown

Subjects

Body site Anatomical site where microbial samples were extracted from according to the Uber Anatomy Ontology
Cecum mucosa Caecum mucosa,Caecum mucosa of organ,Caecum mucous membrane,Caecum organ mucosa,Cecal mucosa,Cecum mucosa of organ,Cecum mucous membrane,Cecum organ mucosa,Intestinum crassum caecum mucosa,Intestinum crassum caecum mucosa of organ,Intestinum crassum caecum mucous membrane,Intestinum crassum caecum organ mucosa,Mucosa of caecum,Mucosa of cecum,Mucosa of intestinum crassum caecum,Mucosa of organ of caecum,Mucosa of organ of cecum,Mucosa of organ of intestinum crassum caecum,Mucous membrane of caecum,Mucous membrane of cecum,Mucous membrane of intestinum crassum caecum,Organ mucosa of caecum,Organ mucosa of cecum,Organ mucosa of intestinum crassum caecum,Cecum mucosa,cecum mucosa
Group 0 name Corresponds to the control (unexposed) group for case-control studies
Control mice on day 10
Group 1 name Corresponds to the case (exposed) group for case-control studies
ChAT+ (Choline acetyltransferase) -activated mice on day 10
Group 1 definition Diagnostic criteria applied to define the specific condition / phenotype represented in the case (exposed) group
ChAT+ (Choline acetyltransferase) -activated mice were treated with C21 ( compound 21) (3 mg/kg) administered daily for 10 consecutive days.

Lab analysis

Statistical Analysis

Statistical test
T-Test
LDA Score above Threshold for the linear discriminant analysis (LDA) score for studies using the popular LEfSe tool
Not specified

Alpha Diversity

Faith Phylogenetic diversity, takes into account phylogenetic distance of all taxa identified in a sample
decreased

Signature 1

Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by KateRasheed on 2025-4-30

Curated date: 2025/04/30

Curator: PreciousChijioke

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke

Source: Fig 2N

Description: Gut-associated ChAT+ and TH+ neuronal activation alters the gut microbiome

Abundance in Group 1: increased abundance in ChAT+ (Choline acetyltransferase) -activated mice on day 10

NCBI Quality ControlLinks
Akkermansia

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke

Experiment 8


Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by KateRasheed on 2025-4-30

Curated date: 2025/04/30

Curator: PreciousChijioke

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke, KateRasheed

Differences from previous experiment shown

Subjects

Body site Anatomical site where microbial samples were extracted from according to the Uber Anatomy Ontology
Feces Cow dung,Cow pat,Droppings,Dung,Excrement,Excreta,Faeces,Fecal material,Fecal matter,Fewmet,Frass,Guano,Matières fécales@fr,Merde@fr,Ordure,Partie de la merde@fr,Piece of shit,Porción de mierda@es,Portion of dung,Portion of excrement,Portion of faeces,Portion of fecal material,Portion of fecal matter,Portion of feces,Portion of guano,Portion of scat,Portionem cacas,Scat,Spoor,Spraint,Stool,Teil der fäkalien@de,Feces,feces


Lab analysis

Statistical Analysis

Alpha Diversity

Faith Phylogenetic diversity, takes into account phylogenetic distance of all taxa identified in a sample
decreased

Signature 1

Reviewed Marked as Reviewed by KateRasheed on 2025-4-30

Curated date: 2025/04/30

Curator: PreciousChijioke

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke

Source: Fig 2N

Description: Gut-associated ChAT+ and TH+ neuronal activation alters the gut microbiome

Abundance in Group 1: increased abundance in ChAT+ (Choline acetyltransferase) -activated mice on day 10

NCBI Quality ControlLinks
Akkermansia

Revision editor(s): PreciousChijioke