Guest blog: Gut bacteria's influence on brain development

5 Feb 2014

We can define the phenomena of epigenetics — chemical modifications of DNA or its associated proteins — as dynamic and potentially heritable changes in gene expression that persist even after the signal or event that initiated the change disappears. Increasingly, researchers are focusing on disentangling the molecular mechanisms in the developing and adult brain that underlie epigenetic change.

In a review published in the January issue of Genes, Brain and Behavior, we propose that researchers consider the influence of gut microbiota — the community of bacterial species that inhabit the digestive tract — on epigenetic regulation of brain functions,especially when studying neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism¹.

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