title: The brain's Geppetto-microbes as puppeteers of neural function and behaviour?
abstract: Research on the microbiome and its interaction with various host organs, including the brain, is increasingly gaining momentum. With more evidence establishing a comprehensive microbiota-gut-brain axis, questions have been raised as to the extent to which microbes influence brain physiology and behaviour. In parallel, there is a growing literature showing active behavioural manipulation in favour of the microbe for certain parasites. However, it seems unclear where the hidden majority of microbes are localised on the parasitism-mutualism spectrum. A long evolutionary history intimately connects host and microbiota, which complicates this classification. In this conceptual minireview, we discuss current hypotheses on host-microbe interaction and argue that novel experimental approaches and theoretical concepts, such as the hologenome theory, are necessary to incorporate transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of the microbiome into evolutionary theories.
authors.affiliation: Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland. rstilling@ucc.ie.|Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland. rstilling@ucc.ie.
authors.forename: Roman M
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7637-5851
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Stilling
authors.affiliation: Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.|Department of Psychiatry, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Timothy G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Dinan
authors.affiliation: Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland. j.cryan@ucc.ie.|Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland. j.cryan@ucc.ie.
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Cryan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001519:Behavior; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D005075:Biological Evolution; D001921:Brain / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D004032:Diet; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome / Q000502:physiology*; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D013559:Symbiosis / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Co-evolution; Commensal; Epigenetics; Host behaviour; Host ecology; Metagenome; Neurovirus; Parasite