The same but different: impact of animal facility sanitary status on a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

ABSTRACT The gut-brain axis has emerged as a key player in the regulation of brain function and cognitive health. Gut microbiota dysbiosis has been observed in preclinical models of Alzheimer’s disease and patients. Manipulating the composition of the gut microbiota enhances or delays neuropathology...

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Main Authors: Caroline Ismeurt-Walmsley, Patrizia Giannoni, Florence Servant, Linda-Nora Mekki, Kevin Baranger, Santiago Rivera, Philippe Marin, Benjamin Lelouvier, Sylvie Claeysen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Society for Microbiology 2025-05-01
Series:mBio
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Online Access:https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mbio.04001-24
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author Caroline Ismeurt-Walmsley
Patrizia Giannoni
Florence Servant
Linda-Nora Mekki
Kevin Baranger
Santiago Rivera
Philippe Marin
Benjamin Lelouvier
Sylvie Claeysen
author_facet Caroline Ismeurt-Walmsley
Patrizia Giannoni
Florence Servant
Linda-Nora Mekki
Kevin Baranger
Santiago Rivera
Philippe Marin
Benjamin Lelouvier
Sylvie Claeysen
author_sort Caroline Ismeurt-Walmsley
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT The gut-brain axis has emerged as a key player in the regulation of brain function and cognitive health. Gut microbiota dysbiosis has been observed in preclinical models of Alzheimer’s disease and patients. Manipulating the composition of the gut microbiota enhances or delays neuropathology and cognitive deficits in mouse models. Accordingly, the health status of the animal facility may strongly influence these outcomes. In the present study, we longitudinally analyzed the fecal microbiota composition and amyloid pathology of 5XFAD mice housed in a specific opportunistic pathogen-free (SOPF) and a conventional facility. The composition of the microbiota of 5XFAD mice after aging in conventional facility showed marked differences compared to WT littermates that were not observed when the mice were bred in SOPF facility. The development of amyloid pathology was also enhanced by conventional housing. We then transplanted fecal microbiota (FMT) from both sources into wild-type (WT) mice and measured memory performance, assessed in the novel object recognition test, in transplanted animals. Mice transplanted with microbiota from conventionally bred 5XFAD mice showed impaired memory performance, whereas FMT from mice housed in SOPF facility did not induce memory deficits in transplanted mice. Finally, 18 weeks of housing SOPF-born animals in a conventional facility resulted in the reappearance of specific microbiota compositions in 5XFAD vs WT mice. In conclusion, these results show a strong impact of housing conditions on microbiota-associated phenotypes and question the relevance of breeding preclinical models in specific pathogen-free (SPF) facilities.IMPORTANCEHousing conditions affect the composition of the gut microbiota. Gut microbiota of 6-month-old conventionally bred Alzheimer's mice is dysbiotic. Gut dysbiosis is absent in Alzheimer's mice housed in highly sanitized facilities. Transfer of fecal microbiota from conventionally bred mice affects cognition. Microbiota of mice housed in highly sanitized facilities has no effect on cognition.
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spelling doaj-art-1f7f548b45aa4df5a36c24b5a4541b882025-08-20T03:49:28ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologymBio2150-75112025-05-0116510.1128/mbio.04001-24The same but different: impact of animal facility sanitary status on a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s diseaseCaroline Ismeurt-Walmsley0Patrizia Giannoni1Florence Servant2Linda-Nora Mekki3Kevin Baranger4Santiago Rivera5Philippe Marin6Benjamin Lelouvier7Sylvie Claeysen8IGF, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, Occitanie, FranceIGF, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, Occitanie, FranceVAIOMER, Labège, FranceIGF, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, Occitanie, FranceAix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, INP, Inst Neurophysiopathol, Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, FranceAix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, INP, Inst Neurophysiopathol, Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, FranceIGF, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, Occitanie, FranceVAIOMER, Labège, FranceIGF, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, Occitanie, FranceABSTRACT The gut-brain axis has emerged as a key player in the regulation of brain function and cognitive health. Gut microbiota dysbiosis has been observed in preclinical models of Alzheimer’s disease and patients. Manipulating the composition of the gut microbiota enhances or delays neuropathology and cognitive deficits in mouse models. Accordingly, the health status of the animal facility may strongly influence these outcomes. In the present study, we longitudinally analyzed the fecal microbiota composition and amyloid pathology of 5XFAD mice housed in a specific opportunistic pathogen-free (SOPF) and a conventional facility. The composition of the microbiota of 5XFAD mice after aging in conventional facility showed marked differences compared to WT littermates that were not observed when the mice were bred in SOPF facility. The development of amyloid pathology was also enhanced by conventional housing. We then transplanted fecal microbiota (FMT) from both sources into wild-type (WT) mice and measured memory performance, assessed in the novel object recognition test, in transplanted animals. Mice transplanted with microbiota from conventionally bred 5XFAD mice showed impaired memory performance, whereas FMT from mice housed in SOPF facility did not induce memory deficits in transplanted mice. Finally, 18 weeks of housing SOPF-born animals in a conventional facility resulted in the reappearance of specific microbiota compositions in 5XFAD vs WT mice. In conclusion, these results show a strong impact of housing conditions on microbiota-associated phenotypes and question the relevance of breeding preclinical models in specific pathogen-free (SPF) facilities.IMPORTANCEHousing conditions affect the composition of the gut microbiota. Gut microbiota of 6-month-old conventionally bred Alzheimer's mice is dysbiotic. Gut dysbiosis is absent in Alzheimer's mice housed in highly sanitized facilities. Transfer of fecal microbiota from conventionally bred mice affects cognition. Microbiota of mice housed in highly sanitized facilities has no effect on cognition.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mbio.04001-24Alzheimer’s diseasegut microbiotaanimal facility sanitary statuscognitionamyloid pathology
spellingShingle Caroline Ismeurt-Walmsley
Patrizia Giannoni
Florence Servant
Linda-Nora Mekki
Kevin Baranger
Santiago Rivera
Philippe Marin
Benjamin Lelouvier
Sylvie Claeysen
The same but different: impact of animal facility sanitary status on a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease
mBio
Alzheimer’s disease
gut microbiota
animal facility sanitary status
cognition
amyloid pathology
title The same but different: impact of animal facility sanitary status on a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease
title_full The same but different: impact of animal facility sanitary status on a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease
title_fullStr The same but different: impact of animal facility sanitary status on a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease
title_full_unstemmed The same but different: impact of animal facility sanitary status on a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease
title_short The same but different: impact of animal facility sanitary status on a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease
title_sort same but different impact of animal facility sanitary status on a transgenic mouse model of alzheimer s disease
topic Alzheimer’s disease
gut microbiota
animal facility sanitary status
cognition
amyloid pathology
url https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mbio.04001-24
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