On August 25, 2024, the Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism and the Jiangsu International Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism published a research paper entitled "Gut microbiota mediates anxiety-like behaviors induced by chronic infection of Toxoplasma gondii in mice" in the journal called Gut Microbes (Chinese Academy of Sciences Major: Medicine Region 1, Subclass: Microbiology Region 1, Top Journal; IF:12.2). The first unit of this paper is Xuzhou Medical University. Prof. Wei Pan, Prof. Yinghua Yu, Prof. Kuiyang Zheng of Xuzhou Medical University, and Prof. Jianping Cao of the National Institute of Parasitic Diseases Control and Prevention of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention are co-corresponding authors of this paper. Undergraduate Xiaotong Luo, Shimin Tan, Yongsheng Zhang, graduate Yunqiu Liu, and Associate professors Xiaoying Yang are co-first authors. This paper was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, and the "Jiebangguashuai" project of Xuzhou Medical University.
Toxoplasma gondii is a neurotropic parasite that affects one-third of the global population. The results from animal experiments and population epidemiological investigations show that chronic infection of the parasite can cause host anxiety and intestinal flora disorders. However, the potential role of gut microbiota in anxiety caused by chronic infection with Toxoplasma gondii remains unclear. This paper, in combination with microbiota transplantation experiments and multi-omics techniques, demonstrates that intestinal microbiota disturbance is a key event in the amygdala neuroinflammation and anxiety-like behavior induced by Toxoplasma gondii in mice. It was found that the decrease of intestinal succinic acid-producing bacteria abundance and succinic acid level was closely related to anxiety caused by Toxoplasma gondii. Increasing succinic acid levels can reduce anxiety-like behavior caused by infection. The results provide new insights into the pathogenesis and intervention strategies of toxoplasmosis-associated neuropsychiatric diseases.
In recent years, the Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism and the Jiangsu International Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism have conducted research on the fundamental and applied aspects of immunology, metabolism, microbiota, and gut-brain axis regulation in relation to major diseases. This research is guided by key national and local priorities and adopts an interdisciplinary approach. Their findings have been published in prestigious international journals, including PNAS, Hepatology, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Microbiome, Cancer Research, Theranostics, and others. Additionally, more than 10 national invention patents have been filed or granted.
Original link:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11346544/
