Dopaminergic neurodegeneration in C. elegans cultivated with Porphorymonas gingivalis

Disruption of the human microbiome has emerged as a major contributing factor in the etiology of neurodegenerative disease. Previous work suggests a positive correlation between periodontal inflammation and Parkinson's disease. Here, we show that feeding <i>C. elegans</i> animals <i>Porphorymonas gingivalis</i> causes neurodegeneration that is not additive with neurodegeneration induced by the Parkinson's-associated protein, α-synuclein. In contrast, α-synuclein-expressing animals fed <i>P. gingivalis</i> show additional disruption in basal slowing, suggesting that <i>P. gingivalis</i> induces neurodegeneration while altering neuronal function of extant neurons. Though the mechanism is unclear, these results suggest a relationship between <i>P. gingivalis</i> and neurodegeneration that warrants further investigation.