# Parents-child multiple sites of microbial and metabolic signatures in autism spectrum disorder

## TL;DR

The study explores how oral and gut microbes and their metabolites differ in families with autism, suggesting possible microbial transmission patterns linked to ASD.

## Contribution

The study identifies unique oral-gut microbiota and metabolic signatures in ASD families, suggesting potential familial microbial transmission.

## Key findings

- ASD families showed increased oral microbial diversity and altered gut microbiota, including lower Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio.
- Metabolomic disruptions in L-rhamnose degradation and glutathione metabolism were observed in ASD children.
- Reduced levels of glutamine and Ala-Gly in ASD children and high predictive value of glycylproline for family typing were found.

## Abstract

To investigate the horizontal transmission of oral-gut microbiota in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) families and its potential implications for ASD pathogenesis.

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.

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.

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.