Acetate-producingPrevotella copriaggravates schizophrenia behaviors by modulating serotonin metabolism

Background

Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder with approximately 1% lifetime risk worldwide, while the differential diagnosis based on currently clinical criteria is still difficult. A growing literature has demonstrated the biological interactions between gut microbiome and host brain. The metagenomic features may shed the light on how the gut-brain axis works in schizophrenia.

Results

A case-control study including 111 fecal metagenomic samples was performed to selected the schizophrenia-associated microbial species and functional modules in comparison with bipolar disorder. The clinical rating scales of both mental diseases were partially explained by gut microbiome. Among these, thePrevotella copriwas screened out by an integrated approach. The functional annotation and anaerobic culture further confirmed its acetate-producing ability, which was also supported by the changes in serum acetate of schizophrenia patients. Increasing both engraftment ofPrevotella copritype strain or acetate intake independently induced schizophrenia-like behaviors in mice. Using transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis, the dysregulation of serotonin metabolism across colon, serum and prefrontal cortex was observed after engraftingPrevotella copritype strain. The proteins involved in biosynthesis, transportation and degradation of serotonin were significantly elevated after increasing acetate intake.

Conclusions

This study suggests that the acetate-producingPrevotella copriselected from clinical metagenome can promote schizophrenia-like behaviors in mice by modulating serotonin metabolism. Larger replication studies and further detailed molecular validation are necessary for the generalizability and future clinical applications of the schizophrenia-specific microbial features.

Graphical Abstract