Microbial regulation of microRNA expression in the brain-gut axis

Gerard M Moloney; Timothy G Dinan; Gerard Clarke; John F Cryan

doi:10.1016/j.coph.2019.08.005

Microbial regulation of microRNA expression in the brain-gut axis

Curr Opin Pharmacol. 2019 Oct:48:120-126. doi: 10.1016/j.coph.2019.08.005. Epub 2019 Oct 4.

Authors

Gerard M Moloney¹, Timothy G Dinan², Gerard Clarke³, John F Cryan⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland. Electronic address: g.moloney@ucc.ie.
² Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Ireland.
³ APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Ireland.
⁴ Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.

PMID: 31590111
DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2019.08.005

Abstract

The gut microbiome facilitates a consistent transfer of information between the gut and the brain and microRNAs may now represent a key signalling molecule that facilitates this relationship. This review will firstly examine how these small non-coding RNAs influence the gut microbiome, and secondly how the microbiome, when disturbed, may influence miRNA expression in the brain. In addition, we will examine the consequence that microbiome-related changes in miRNA expression have on neurodevelopment, behaviour and cognition. We will also discuss novel data that suggests miRNAs contained in our diet may influence our immune system in a positive manner, offering a further potential pathway for treatment of disorders of the gut-brain axis that are influenced by the microbiome.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Behavior
Brain / physiology*
Gastrointestinal Microbiome*
Humans
MicroRNAs*

Substances

MicroRNAs