Bilophila wadsworthia is linked to basal ganglia atrophy in the general population
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Bilophila wadsworthia, a sulfite-reducing bacterium stimulated by bile acids and enriched under high-fat diets, has been linked to several neurological disorders involving disturbances of motor function and basal ganglia circuitry. However, its potential association with alterations of brain structure remains unclear. Here, we investigated relationships between Bilophila (wadsworthia) abundance and basal ganglia volumes in two independent population-based cohorts combining gut microbiome profiling and brain MRI data. Genus-level Bilophila abundance was assessed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and complemented by species-level analyses of B. wadsworthia using whole-genome shotgun sequencing. Higher abundance of Bilophila (wadsworthia) was consistently associated with reduced volumes of basal ganglia regions, particularly the globus pallidus and nucleus accumbens. These associations were largely specific to basal ganglia regions when compared across a broad set of cortical thickness and other volumetric brain measures. Additionally, Bilophila (wadsworthia) was linked to elevated liver enzymes, elevated triglycerides, and pro-inflammatory states, confirming prior evidence from animal models while revealing novel associations in the general population. Constraint-based community modeling revealed that B. wadsworthia-enriched microbiomes exhibit increased functional redundancy for bile acid and sulfur metabolism and may modulate trimethylamine pathways. Together, these findings link variation in B. wadsworthia abundance to structural differences within basal ganglia regions and to unfavorable metabolic and inflammatory profiles in the general population, suggesting a potential role of this microbial species in gut-brain axis alterations relevant to neurodegenerative disease progression.
Source: Brain Behavior and Immunity
Authors: Daniel Fässler, Katharina Wittfeld, Stefan Frenzel, Sandra Van der Auwera, Ameneh Merhjerd, Maryam Gholizadeh, Stefan Simm, Lars Kaderali, Maximilien Franck, Malte Rühlemann, Corinna Bang, Andre Franke, Nele Friedrich, Matthias Nauck, Markus M. Lerch, Frank Ulrich Weiss, Uwe Völker, Robin Bülow, Henry Völzke, Kenneth Peuker, Sebastian Zeissig, Hans Jörgen Grabe, Fabian Frost, Johannes Hertel
Institutions: Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Universität Greifswald, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Université de Sherbrooke, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, German Centre for Cardiovascular Research, LMU Klinikum, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, University of Bern, University Hospital of Bern
Language: English
Topic: Gut microbiota and health
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $5,680
OpenAlex ID: W7151025702