Daniel J. Davis

Transient rapamycin treatment can increase lifespan and healthspan in middle-aged mice.

The FDA approved drug rapamycin increases lifespan in rodents and delays age-related dysfunction in rodents and humans. Nevertheless, important questions remain regarding the optimal dose, duration, and mechanisms of action in the context of healthy aging. Here we show that 3 months of rapamycin treatment is sufficient to increase life expectancy by up to 60% and improve measures of healthspan in middle-aged mice. This transient treatment is also associated with a remodeling of the microbiome, including dramatically increased prevalence of segmented filamentous bacteria in the small intestine. We also define a dose in female mice that does not extend lifespan, but is associated with a striking shift in cancer prevalence toward aggressive hematopoietic cancers and away from non-hematopoietic malignancies. These data suggest that a short-term rapamycin treatment late in life has persistent effects that can robustly delay aging, influence cancer prevalence, and modulate the microbiome. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.16351.001

Microbial modulation of behavior and stress responses in zebrafish larvae.

The influence of the microbiota on behavior and stress responses is poorly understood. Zebrafish larvae have unique characteristics that are advantageous for neuroimmune research, however, they are currently underutilized for such studies. Here, we used germ-free zebrafish to determine the effects of the microbiota on behavior and stress testing. The absence of a microbiota dramatically altered locomotor and anxiety-related behavior. Additionally, characteristic responses to an acute stressor were also obliterated in larvae lacking exposure to microbes. Lastly, treatment with the probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum was sufficient to attenuate anxiety-related behavior in conventionally-raised zebrafish larvae. These results underscore the importance of the microbiota in communicating to the CNS via the microbiome-gut-brain axis and set a foundation for using zebrafish larvae for neuroimmune research.

Lactobacillus plantarum attenuates anxiety-related behavior and protects against stress-induced dysbiosis in adult zebrafish

The consumption of probiotics has become increasingly popular as a means to try to improve health and well-being. Not only are probiotics considered beneficial to digestive health, but increasing evidence suggests direct and indirect interactions between gut microbiota (GM) and the central nervous system (CNS). Here, adult zebrafish were supplemented with Lactobacillus plantarum to determine the effects of probiotic treatment on structural and functional changes of the GM, as well as host neurological and behavioral changes. L. plantarum administration altered the β-diversity of the GM while leaving the major core architecture intact. These minor structural changes were accompanied by significant enrichment of several predicted metabolic pathways. In addition to GM modifications, L. plantarum treatment also significantly reduced anxiety-related behavior and altered GABAergic and serotonergic signaling in the brain. Lastly, L. plantarum supplementation provided protection against stress-induced dysbiosis of the GM. These results underscore the influence commensal microbes have on physiological function in the host, and demonstrate bidirectional communication between the GM and the host.

Sex-specific effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on the microbiome and behavior of socially-isolated mice.

Dietary supplementation with the long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has been shown to have a beneficial effect on reducing the symptoms associated with several neuropsychiatric conditions including anxiety and depression. However, the mechanisms underlying this effect remain largely unknown. Increasing evidence suggests that the vast repertoire of commensal bacteria within the gut plays a critical role in regulating various biological processes in the brain and may contribute to neuropsychiatric disease risk. The present study determined the contribution of DHA on anxiety and depressive-like behaviors through modulation of the gut microbiota in a paradigm of social isolation. Adult male and female mice were subjected to social isolation for 28days and then placed either on a control diet or a diet supplemented with 0.1% or 1.0% DHA. Fecal pellets were collected both 24h and 7days following the introduction of the new diets. Behavioral testing revealed that male mice fed a DHA diet, regardless of dose, exhibited reduced anxiety and depressive-like behaviors compared to control fed mice while no differences were observed in female mice. As the microbiota-brain-axis has been recently implicated in behavior, composition of microbial communities were analyzed to examine if these sex-specific effects of DHA may be associated with changes in the gut microbiota (GM). Clear sex differences were observed with males and females showing distinct microbial compositions prior to DHA supplementation. The introduction of DHA into the diet also induced sex-specific interactions on the GM with the fatty acid producing a significant effect on the microbial profiles in males but not in females. Interestingly, levels of Allobaculum and Ruminococcus were found to significantly correlate with the behavioral changes observed in the male mice. Predictive metagenome analysis using PICRUSt was performed on the fecal samples collected from males and identified enrichment in functional KEGG pathway terms relevant to processes such as the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids and antioxidant metabolism. These results indicate that DHA alters commensal community composition and produces beneficial effects on anxiety and depressive-like behaviors in a sex-specific manner. The present study provides insight into the mechanistic role that gut microbes may play in the regulation of anxiety and depressive-like behaviors and how dietary intervention can modulate these effects.

Exoelectrogenic capacity of host microbiota predicts lymphocyte recruitment to the gut

Electrotaxis, directional cell movement in response to an electric potential, has been demonstrated in a wide range of cell types including lymphocytes. Exoelectrogens, microorganisms capable of generating electrical currents, have been identified in microbial fuel cells. However, no studies have investigated exoelectrogenic microbes in fresh feces or the effects of an exoelectrogenic microbiota on the host organism. Here we show that commensal gut microbial populations differ in their capacity for electrical current production by exoelectrogens and that those differences are predictive of increased lymphocyte trafficking to the gut in vivo, despite the lack of increased production of canonical lymphocyte-specific chemokines. Additionally, we demonstrate that the difference in current production between mice purchased from different commercial sources correlates reproducibly with the presence or absence of segmented filamentous bacteria, and while our data do not support a direct role for segmented filamentous bacteria in ex vivo current production, an exoelectrogenic microbiota can be transferred in vivo via mucosa-associated bacteria present in the ileum. Moreover, we detect upregulation of microbial genes associated with extracellular electron transfer in feces of mice colonized with exoelectrogenic microbiota containing segmented filamentous bacteria. While still correlative, these results suggest a novel means by which the gut microbiota modulates the recruitment of cells of the immune system to the gut.

Sex determines effect of physical activity on diet preference: Association of striatal opioids and gut microbiota composition

&NA; Previous studies suggest an interaction between the level of physical activity and diet preference. However, this relationship has not been well characterized for sex differences that may exist. The present study examined the influence of sex on diet preference in male and female Wistar rats that were housed under either sedentary (no wheel access) (SED) or voluntary wheel running access (RUN) conditions. Following a 1 week acclimation period to these conditions, standard chow was replaced with concurrent ad libitum access to a choice of 3 pelleted diets (high‐fat, high‐sucrose, and high‐corn starch) in the home cage. SED and RUN conditions remained throughout the next 4 week diet preference assessment period. Body weight, running distance, and intake of each diet were measured daily. At the conclusion of the 4 week diet preference test, animals were sacrificed and brains were collected for mRNA analysis. Fecal samples were also collected before and after the 4 week diet preference phase to characterize microbiota composition. Results indicate sex dependent interactions between physical activity and both behavioral and physiological measures. Females in both RUN and SED conditions preferred the high‐fat diet, consuming significantly more high‐fat diet than either of the other two diets. While male SED rats also preferred the high‐fat diet, male RUN rats consumed significantly less high‐fat diet than the other groups, instead preferring all three diets equally. There was also a sex dependent influence of physical activity on both reward related opioid mRNA expression in the ventral striatum and the characterization of gut microbiota. The significant sex differences in response to physical activity observed through both behavioral and physiological measures suggest potential motivational or metabolic difference between males and females. The findings highlight the necessity for further exploration between male and female response to physical activity and feeding behavior.

16S rRNA amplicon sequencing dataset for conventionalized and conventionally raised zebrafish larvae

Data presented here contains metagenomic analysis regarding the sequential conventionalization of germ-free zebrafish embryos. Zebrafish embryos that underwent a germ-free sterilization process immediately after fertilization were promptly exposed to and raised to larval stage in conventional fish water. At 6 days postfertilization (dpf), these “conventionalized” larvae were compared to zebrafish larvae that were raised in conventional fish water never undergoing the initial sterilization process. Bacterial 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing was performed on DNA isolated from homogenates of the larvae revealing distinct microbiota variations between the two groups. The dataset described here is also related to the research article entitled “Microbial modulation of behavior and stress responses in zebrafish larvae” (Davis et al., 2016) [1].

Novel Compensatory Mechanisms Enable the Mutant KCNT1 Channels to Induce Seizures

Mutations in the sodium-activated potassium channel (KCNT1) gene are linked to epilepsy. Surprisingly, all KCNT1 mutations examined to date increase K+ current amplitude. These findings present a major neurophysiological paradox: how do gain-of-function KCNT1 mutations expected to silence neurons cause epilepsy? Here, we use Drosophila to show that expressing mutant KCNT1 in GABAergic neurons leads to seizures, consistent with the notion that silencing inhibitory neurons tips the balance towards hyperexcitation. Unexpectedly, mutant KCNT1 expressed in motoneurons also causes seizures. One striking observation is that mutant KCNT1 causes abnormally large and spontaneous EJPs (sEJPs). Our data suggest that these sEJPs result from local depolarization of synaptic terminals due to a reduction in Shaker channel levels and more active Na+ channels. Hence, we provide the first in vivo evidence that both disinhibition of inhibitory neurons and compensatory plasticity in motoneurons can account for the paradoxical effects of gain-of-function mutant KCNT1 in epilepsy.

143. Vendor-specific commensal gut microbiota differentially affect immune function and behavior in mice

The commensal gut microbiota plays a central role in the ontogeny of the mucosal immune system and, as a consequence, peripheral immunity. Considering the well- recognized link between inflammation, and various behavioral traits, it follows that the gut microbiota may influence behavior via changes in peripheral immunity. Using robust next-generation sequencing, we detected consistent vendor- and housing density-dependent differences in the composition of the gut microbiota of several inbred mouse strains. These varying but distinct microbial communities correlate with circulating levels of glucocorticoids and several surrogate markers of increased systemic immune tone, including production of inflammatory cytokines and changes in the leukogram. To investigate a causal relationship between these dependent variables and characteristics of the gut microbiota, isogenic mice harboring distinct gut microbial compositions were generated and prospectively subjected to a battery of assays to assess peripheral immune tone and behavioral phenotype. Significant differences in anxiety-related behavior and neuroimmune correlates of stress were detected between groups of genetically identical mice colonized with microbial populations that differ significantly between two major animal vendors. These results support the hypothesis that the composition of the gut microbiota is causally related to different behavioral responses to stress, and that this effect is mediated by changes in peripheral immune tone. These results also underscore the need to consider the gut microbiota as an important intercurrent variable in behavioral research.