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Ilana Gabanyi Lab

Neuronal responses to bacterial signals

The NeuroBiota Lab studies the interactions between the microbial community of the gastrointestinal track and the central nervous system, known as the microbiota-gut-brain axis. A very exciting, fast-growing field of research.

Our focus is direct interactions between gut-bacterial signals and brain neurons. Ilana has shown, in her post-doc, that microbe-derived compounds are found in the brain and are able to influence neuronal activity. Moreover, some of these interactions are sex- and age-dependent (Gabanyi et al., Science 2022)

The lab is currently investigating intriguing follow-up questions derived from this work:

Which factors (e.g. hormones) influence the neuronal response to bacterial products?
How and which bacterial signals are able to reach the brain and alter neuronal activity?
What are the downstream responses to these bacterial-induced neuronal alterations?

The research team combines techniques from different fields, including 3D brain imaging, microbial sequencing, and transgenic mice, to dissect the mechanisms of microbiota-neuron crosstalk.

Funders

The Lab has 3 main lines of investigation that are independent, however interconnected:

Trafficking mechanisms of gut-derived bacterial compounds to the brain.

Here we investigate the possible routes and mechanisms that the bacteria or the host can employ to get the signal coming from the intestinal lumen into the brain.

Physiological state affects the gut-brain communication.

We are intrigued about the “external” factors that can influence the microbiota-gut-brain communication. Our main focus are the sex hormones. Why males and females respond differently to a certain bacterial compound? How can age influence the neuronal responses to those compounds?

Novel gut-microbiota driven effects on brain neurons.

So far we have identified the muropeptides (molecules present in the bacteria cell wall) as key messengers in the microbiota-brain cross-talk, in this line we are interested in 2 aspect: (1) What other phenotypes/behaviours those muropeptides may affect? (2) Are there other microbial-derived compounds that can be directly sensed by brain neurons and have a downstream effect on metabolism and/or behaviour?

Trafficking mechanisms and physiological factors mediating a direct gut microbiota-neuron communication.

Brain neuronal responses to gut-bacterial products and their physiological consequences.

Sex and age specificities influencing the gut-brain axis communication.

Wheeler R., Bastos P.A.D., Disson O., Rifflet A., Gabanyi I., Spielbauer J., Bérard M., Lecuit M., Boneca I.G. Microbiota-induced active translocation of peptidoglycan across the intestinal barrier dictates its within-host dissemination. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2023.

Gabanyi I., Lepousez G., Wheller R., Prado A.V., Nissant A., Wagner S., Mognieu C., Dulauroy S., Hicham S., Polomack B., Verny F., Rosenstiel P., Renier N., Boneca I.G., Eberl G., Lledo P.M. Bacterial sensing via neuronal Nod2 regulates appetite and body temperature. Science 2022.

Bourhy L., Mazeraud A., Costa L.H.A., Levy J., Rei D., Hecquet E., Gabanyi I., Bozza F.A., Chrétien F., Lledo P.M., Sharshar T., Lepousez G. Silencing of amygdala circuits during sepsis prevents the development of anxiety-related behaviors. Brain 2022.

Matheis, F.*, Muller, P.A.*, Graves, C., Gabanyi, I., Kerner, Z.J., Costa-Borges, D., Mucida, D. Adrenergic signaling in muscularis macrophages limits infection-induced neuronal loss. Cell. 2020.

Gabanyi, I.*, Muller, P.A.*, Feighery, L., Oliveira, T.Y., Costa-Pinto, F.A., Mucida, D. Neuro- immune Interactions Drive Tissue Programming in Intestinal Macrophages. Cell. 2016.

A complete list of publications can be found here.