Reprint of: Manipulation of microbiota reveals altered callosal myelination and white matter plasticity in a model of Huntington disease.

In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of microbiota on myelin plasticity and oligodendroglial population dynamics in the mixed-sex BACHD mouse model of HD. Ultrastructural analysis of myelin in the corpus callosum revealed alterations of myelin thickness in BACHD GF compared to specific-pathogen free (SPF) mice, whereas no differences were observed between wild-type (WT) groups. In contrast, myelin compaction was altered in all groups when compared to WT SPF animals. Levels of myelin-related proteins were generally reduced, and the number of mature oligodendrocytes was decreased in the prefrontal cortex under GF compared to SPF conditions, regardless of genotype. Minor differences in commensal bacteria at the family and genera levels were found in the gut microbiota of BACHD and WT animals housed in standard living conditions. Our findings indicate complex effects of a germ-free status on myelin-related characteristics, and highlight the adaptive properties of myelination as a result of environmental manipulation.
PMID: 31931139 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Source: Neurobiology of Disease - January 9, 2020 Category: Neurology Authors: Radulescu CI, Garcia-Miralles M, Sidik H, Bardile CF, Yusof NABM, Lee HU, Ho EXP, Chu CW, Layton E, Low D, De Sessions PF, Pettersson S, Ginhoux F, Pouladi MA Tags: Neurobiol Dis Source Type: research