Gut-brain axis immune modulation triggered by fungi
This study investigates the role of the gut mycobiota in a CARD9-dependent gut-immune-brain pathway associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)-like behaviors. Fungal communities from mouse and human samples were profiled to examine the relationship between intestinal fungal colonization, CARD9 deficiency, and neurobehavioral phenotypes, with particular interest in Candida albicans. Fungal community composition was characterized by amplicon sequencing of the ITS1 region using the ITS1F and ITS2R primer pair. Libraries were generated using a two-step PCR protocol with Illumina adapters and Nextera XT v2 indices and sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq platform using 2 x 300 bp paired-end reads. These sequencing data were used to characterize intestinal fungal community composition and assess associations between gut fungi, host immune deficiency, and behavioral phenotypes in mice and patients with CARD9 deficiency.