The Gut Microbiota Regulates Autism-like Behavior by Mediating Synaptic Loss and Microbiota-Derived Metabolite in CLC4 KO mice
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a developmental disorder, is associated with dysregulation of the gut-microbiota-brain axis. Increasing evidence suggests a functional link between the gut microbiota and ASD, although the mechanism(s) underlying this connection have not yet been elucidated. Here, we hypothesize that the gut microbiota regulates autism-like behavior by mediating synaptic loss and metabolites in CLC4 knock-out (KO) mice. Our study revealed that CLC4 is an ASD-associated gene functionally and that the gut microbiota plays a key role in regulating synaptic loss and microbiota derived metabolites that induce autism-like behavior. These findings suggest new strategies to understand ASD.