Gut Microbiota in Monozygotic Twins Discordant for Parkinson's Disease
Carlotta Bolliri, Alessandra Fontana, Emanuele Cereda, Michela Barichella, Roberto Cilia, Valentina Ferri, Serena Caronni, Daniela Calandrella, Lorenzo Morelli, Gianni Pezzoli
Abstract
Differences in gut microbiota between Parkinson's disease patients and controls seem to depend on multiple-frequently unmeasured-confounders. Monozygotic twins offer a unique model for controlling several factors responsible for interpersonal variation in gut microbiota. Fecal samples from 20 monozygotic twin pairs (n = 40) discordant for Parkinson's disease were studied (metagenomic shotgun analysis). Paired data analysis detected minimal differences in bacterial taxa abundance at species level (Bacteroides pectinophilus [p = 0.037], Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum [p = 0.050], and Bifidobacterium catenulatum [p = 0.025]) and in predicted metabolic pathways (primary bile acid biosynthesis [p = 0.037]). Additional studies are warranted to understand the role of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. ANN NEUROL 2022;92:631-636.