Microbial Endocrinology and the Gut-Brain Axis
Summary
Microbial endocrinology examines how microorganisms produce, sense and respond to neuroendocrine molecules traditionally associated with the host, establishing an interkingdom dialogue that shapes physiology and behaviour. Within the gut-brain axis, this bidirectional network integrates neural, endocrine and immune pathways to convey signals between the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. Gut microbes synthesise a range of neuroactive compounds—such as catecholamines, serotonin and γ-aminobutyric acid—that modulate gut motility, barrier integrity and immune tone, while host stress hormones and neurotransmitters influence microbial growth, gene expression and metabolite production. This dynamic interplay has been implicated in mood disorders, neurodegenerative conditions and metabolic disease, and offers avenues for novel interventions through diet, probiotics and pharmacological modulation of microbial signalling pathways.
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Microbial Endocrinology and the Gut-Brain Axis publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in microbial endocrinology and the gut-brain axis across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Microbial endocrinology: The study of microbial capacity to produce and respond to neuroendocrine molecules enabling interkingdom communication.
Gut–brain axis: The bidirectional network linking gastrointestinal microbiota, gut physiology and the central nervous system via neural, endocrine and immune routes.
Biogenic amines: Small, nitrogenous compounds such as dopamine and serotonin that act as neuroactive signals in both host and microbial systems.
Dysbiosis: A disturbance in the normal composition and function of the gut microbial community associated with disease states.
Plasma membrane monoamine transporter (PMAT): A solute carrier protein that mediates cellular uptake of monoamines, with bacterial analogues facilitating import of host neurotransmitters.
References
- Evidence for PMAT- and OCT-like biogenic amine transporters in a probiotic strain of Lactobacillus: Implications for interkingdom communication within the microbiota-gut-brain axis. PLOS ONE (2018).
- Dopamine production in Enterococcus faecium: A microbial endocrinology-based mechanism for the selection of probiotics based on neurochemical-producing potential. PLOS ONE (2018).
- Eating for 3.8 × 1013: Examining the Impact of Diet and Nutrition on the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis Through the Lens of Microbial Endocrinology. Frontiers in Endocrinology (2019).
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