Parents-child multiple sites of microbial and metabolic signatures in autism spectrum disorder
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Introduction To investigate the horizontal transmission of oral-gut microbiota in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) families and its potential implications for ASD pathogenesis. Methods The research employed a paired cohort design using family cohorts (23 ASD children/17 parents vs. 18 Non-ASD children/16 parents), conducting integrated microbiome and metabolomic analyses of oral and fecal samples. Results The findings revealed that ASD families exhibited significantly increased oral microbial species diversity alongside substantial alterations in gut microbiota composition, particularly demonstrating a lower Firmicutes / Bacteroidetes ratio (3.60/2.97) compared to Non-ASD families (5.59/5.35). Specific microbial changes included notable enrichment of Prevotella_9 in ASD gut microbiota. Metabolomic profiling identified significant disruptions in multiple metabolic pathways, including impaired L-rhamnose degradation and glutathione metabolism. The study observed coordinated oral-gut axis alterations through synchronized changes in Caulobacter and Serratia abundances, suggesting a distinct dysbiotic pattern along this microbial continuum. Additional metabolic findings demonstrated reduced levels of fecal glutamine and Ala-Gly in ASD children, with glycylproline exhibiting high predictive value for family typing (AUC = 0.91). Integrative analysis further revealed significant correlations between Holdemanella and various lipid metabolites. Discussion It indicates that ASD families display characteristic oral-gut microbiota interactions accompanied by metabolic abnormalities, potentially reflecting familial microbial transmission patterns that may contribute to ASD pathophysiology.
Source: Frontiers in Microbiology
Authors: Lingping Zhu, Haiyan Zhang, Meiling Tang, Xuefeng Yang, Yongjun Chen
Institutions: Fudan University, University of South China
Language: English
Topic: Gut microbiota and health
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7125395992