Meta-analysis of shotgun sequencing of gut microbiota in Parkinson’s disease

The study pooled shotgun metagenomic data from multiple countries and found that Parkinson’s disease (PD) is consistently associated with higher gut microbial diversity, increased Akkermansia, and reduced SCFA-producing bacteria like Roseburia and Faecalibacterium. Functionally, PD guts showed a strong loss of microbial genes for riboflavin (B2) and biotin (B7) synthesis and reduced carbohydrate-metabolizing enzymes, indicating impaired microbial metabolism. Fecal metabolomics confirmed lower SCFAs and polyamines. The authors propose that reduced microbial vitamin synthesis → reduced SCFAs/polyamines → weakened gut barrier → increased inflammation and α-synuclein aggregation in gut nerves, forming a mechanistic pathway linking gut dysbiosis to Parkinson’s disease.

Source : https://www.researchgate.net/publication/380764955_Meta-analysis_of_shotgun_sequencing_of_gut_microbiota_in_Parkinson%27s_disease