Ohio State University researchers created a mouse gut catalog of 6,635 draft genomes from 333 fecal samples to analyze spinal cord injury complications. Studies published in NPJ Biofilms and Microbiomes and Communications Biology revealed that spinal injury alters gut bacterial dynamics and causes nitrogen loss linked to muscle wasting. Refeeding depleted Lactobacillus johnsonii bacteria reduced inflammation and stabilized weight loss in injured mice.
Gut communication Disruption in neurological conditions
- ▪Neurological conditions including stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and ALS disrupt neural communication pathways between the brain, spinal cord, and internal organs.
- ▪The spinal cord serves as a major communication pathway connecting the brain to the gut, where trillions of microbes interact with immune cells.
- ▪Disruption of spinal cord function alters gut communication, impacting inflammation, infection, nutrition, and the production of molecules necessary for brain and spinal cord health.
Lactobacillus johnsonii refeeding in injured mice
- ▪Refeeding the depleted bacterial species Lactobacillus johnsonii to mice with spinal cord injury lowered systemic inflammation and stabilized weight loss.
- ▪A study in Communications Biology reported that while refeeding Lactobacillus johnsonii improved symptoms in spinal-injured mice, combination therapies may be needed to sustain the bacteria.
Nitrogen loss linked to gut bacteria depletion
- ▪Nitrogen loss following spinal cord injury in male mice resulted from the depletion of bacteria that convert nitrogen compounds, a process associated with human muscle wasting.
- ▪A study in NPJ Biofilms and Microbiomes identified 19 gut microbial species strongly linked to nitrogen loss following spinal cord injury in male mice.
Development of the mouse gut genome catalog
- ▪The mouse gut genome catalog assembled draft genomes representing 80 percent of the gut microbiome in a common research mouse strain, alongside resident gut viruses.
- ▪Ohio State University researchers created a mouse gut catalog containing 6,635 microbial draft genomes generated from 333 fecal samples collected across six months.
Metagenomic mapping of microbial cross-talk
- ▪Ohio State neuroscientists and microbiologists combined metagenomic sequencing with time-resolved machine learning and artificial intelligence analytics to map gut microbial cross-talk.
- ▪Metagenomic analysis by Ohio State researchers revealed group microbial behaviors, categorizing specific bacteria as nutrient-sharing altruists or nutrient-blocking selfish bugs.
Kristina Kigerl's microbiome research
- ▪Kristina Kigerl co-led the Ohio State microbiome study alongside microbiology research scientist Ahmed Zayed and biophysics graduate Mohamed Mohssen.
- ▪Ten years ago, a study led by Kristina Kigerl at Ohio State University showed in mice that spinal cord injury disrupted the gut microbiome and that probiotic administration had a protective effect.
Spinal cord injury level differences
- ▪High thoracic spinal cord injury completely abolishes brain-related control over sympathetic neurons controlling the gut in mice, whereas lower thoracic injury reduces that control only partially.
- ▪Researchers at Ohio State University found that gut bacterial composition changes in mice differed according to spinal cord injury level, sex, and time elapsed after injury.
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