Antisera against Neisseria gonorrhoeae cross-react with specific brain proteins of the common marmoset monkey and other nonhuman primate species

Dysbiosis and Metabolic Dysregulation of Salivary Microbiota in Schizophrenia

Background

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a chronic, severe mental disorder that presents significant challenges to diagnosis and effective treatment. Emerging evidence suggests that gut microbiota may play a role in the disease's pathogenesis. However, fewer studies have directly investigated the potential links between oral microbiota and SZ.

Purpose

This study aimed to explore the relationship between salivary microbiota dysbiosis and SZ, examining microbial and metabolic alterations that may contribute to SZ pathophysiology.

Methods

Salivary samples from 30 hospitalized patients diagnosed with SZ and 10 healthy controls were collected. The microbial and metabolic profiles were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metabolomic profiling. Clinical parameters, including oral health status, were also evaluated to minimize variability in sampling.

Results

Patients with SZ exhibited significantly poorer oral health compared to healthy controls, with more missing teeth and worse periodontal status. Microbiota sequencing revealed notable alterations in the overall structure and composition of the salivary microbiome in SZ patients, characterized by increased abundance of specific genera such as Neisseria and Porphyromonas. Metabolomic analysis indicated significant differences between the SZ and control groups, with upregulation of key metabolic pathways, including "β-alanine metabolism" and "vitamin digestion and absorption". Correlations between microbial dysbiosis and elevated levels of certain metabolites, such as L-methionine sulfoxide (L-MetO) and tyramine, were observed, suggesting links to oxidative stress.

Conclusion

The study highlights the presence of significant dysbiosis and metabolic dysfunction in the salivary microbiota of SZ patients, suggesting that alterations in the oral microbiome may contribute to SZ pathogenesis. These results provide new insights into potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for SZ. Further studies with larger sample sizes are required to validate these findings.

Vertebrate and Invertebrate Animal and New In Vitro Models for Studying Neisseria Biology

The history of Neisseria research has involved the use of a wide variety of vertebrate and invertebrate animal models, from insects to humans. In this review, we itemise these models and describe how they have made significant contributions to understanding the pathophysiology of Neisseria infections and to the development and testing of vaccines and antimicrobials. We also look ahead, briefly, to their potential replacement by complex in vitro cellular models.

Interactions of Antibodies to the Gram-Negative Gastric Bacterium Helicobacter pylori with the Synaptic Calcium Sensor Synaptotagmin 5, Correlate to Impaired Vesicle Recycling in SiMa Human Neuroblastoma Cells

Due to molecular mimicry, maternal antibacterial antibodies are suspected to promote neurodevelopmental changes in the offspring that finally can cause disorders like autism and schizophrenia. Using a human first trimester prenatal brain multiprotein array (MPA), we demonstrate here that antibodies to the digestive tract bacteria Helicobacter pylori (α-HPy) and Campylobacter jejuni (α-CJe) interact with different synaptic proteins, including the calcium sensor synaptotagmin 5 (Syt5). Interactions of both antisera with Syt5 were confirmed by Western blot with a HEK293-cells overexpression lysate of this protein. Immunofluorescence and Western blotting revealed SiMa cells to express Syt5, which also co-migrated with a band/spot labeled by either α-HPy or α-CJe. Functionally, a 12-h pretreatment of SiMa cells with 10 μg/ml of either α-HPy or α-CJe resulted in a significant reduction of acetylcholine(ACh)-dependent calcium signals as compared to controls. Also ACh-dependent vesicle recycling was significantly reduced in cells pretreated with either α-HPy or α-CJe. Similar effects were observed upon pretreatment of SiMa cells with Syt5-specific antibodies. In conclusion, the present study supports the view that prenatal maternal antibacterial immune responses towards HPy and by this to Syt5 are able to cause functional changes, which in the end might contribute also to neurodevelopmental disorders.