Association between the relative abundance of butyrate-producing and mucin-degrading taxa and Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterised by motor and non-motor symptoms. Recent evidence suggests a role for gut microbiome composition and diversity in PD aetiology. This study aimed to explore the association between the gut microbiome and PD in a South African population. Gut microbial sequencing data (cases: n = 16; controls: n = 42) was generated using a 16S rRNA gene (V4) primer pair. Alpha- and beta-diversity were calculated using QIIME2, and differential abundance of taxa was evaluated using Analysis of Compositions of Microbiomes with Bias Correction (ANCOM-BC). Beta-diversity was found to differ significantly between cases and controls, with depletion in the relative abundance of Faecalibacterium, Roseburia, Dorea, and Veillonella, and enrichment of the relative abundance of Akkermansia and Victivallis. Our study found a reduction in butyrate-producing bacteria (e.g. Faecalibacterium and Roseburia) and an increase in mucin-degrading bacteria (Akkermansia) in PD cases compared to controls. These alterations might be associated with heightened gut permeability and inflammation. Longitudinal studies should address the question of whether these microbiome differences are a risk factor for, or are consequent to, the development of PD.