Role of Metabolites in Gut-Brain Axis
A special issue of Metabolites (ISSN 2218-1989). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Metabolism".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 June 2025 | Viewed by 151
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The gut–brain axis is a bidirectional signaling pathway connecting the gut and the brain. Several mechanisms link the gut to the brain in the regulation of metabolic homeostasis. Classically, signals originating from the gut in response to an influx of nutrients during a meal are relayed to the brain, informing the central nervous system (CNS) about meal size and composition. In response to dietary patterns, gut microbiota produce different metabolites that enter the systemic circulation and act as signaling molecules by influencing cell-to-cell interactions between gut microbes and cells in the CNS, particularly microglia, astrocytes, and neuronal cells, which ultimately affect cognitive function, mood, and behavior.
Alterations in gut microbiota composition have been associated with a range of neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, and neuropsychiatric disorders. The gut microbes transform and metabolize dietary- and host-derived molecules, generating a diverse group of metabolites with local and systemic effects. The bi-directional communication between the brain and the microbes residing in the gut, the so-called gut–brain axis, consists of a network of immunological, neuronal, and endocrine signaling pathways. Although the full variety of mechanisms of gut–brain crosstalk is yet to be established, existing information demonstrates that a single metabolite or its derivatives are likely among the key inductors within gut–brain axis communication.
However, more research is needed to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying how gut microbiota-associated metabolites alter brain functions, and to examine whether different interventional approaches targeting the gut microbiota could be used in the prevention and treatment of neurological disorders.
Dr. Abhijit Maji
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- gut microbiota
- gut–brain axis
- neurological disorder
- metabolomics
- behavior
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