Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37357378›Full record

ArticleNeurogastroenterology and motility2023

Tryptophan-synthesizing bacteria enhance colonic motility.

Theresa B Legan, Brigitte Lavoie, Emilia Norberg, Isabella C Ley, Stephanie Tack, Thomas A Tompkins, Matthew J Wargo, Gary M Mawe

Erratum issuedOpen access · hybridAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Neurogastroenterology and motility, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 15 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
15citing papers in PubMed
3.5field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

15 citing papers in PubMed, 23 citations in OpenAlex.

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  4. Microbial dysbiosis alters serotonin signaling in a postinflammatory murine model of visceral pain.American journal of physiology. Gastrointestinal and liver physiology · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Theresa B LeganDepartment of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-1248-7720
Brigitte LavoieDepartment of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-3746-2578
Emilia NorbergDepartment of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA.
Isabella C LeyDepartment of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA.
Stephanie TackDepartment of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA.
Thomas A TompkinsLallemand Bio Ingredients, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-2990-2265
Matthew J WargoDepartment of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-5659-749X
Gary M MaweDepartment of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-8876-8468
University of Vermont · USLallemand (Canada) · CA

Funding

Mechanisms of gallbladder smooth muscle dysfunctionR01DK131044 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT & ST AGRIC COLLEGE · PI LAVOIE, BRIGITTE · 2022 to 2025
$2.2M
Use of tryptophan-synthesizing bacteria to enhance intestinal motilityR21AT011203 · NCCIH · UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT & ST AGRIC COLLEGE · PI LAVOIE, BRIGITTE · 2021 to 2022
$421k
NCCIH NIH HHS R21 AT011203NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK131044
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAn emerging strategy to treat symptoms of gastrointestinal (GI) dysmotility utilizes the administration of isolated bacteria. However, the underlying mechanisms of action of these bacterial agents are not well established. Here, we elucidate a novel approach to promote intestinal motility by exploiting the biochemical capability of specific bacteria to produce the serotonin (5-HT) precursor, tryptophan (Trp).

methodsMice were treated daily for 1 week by oral gavage of Bacillus (B.) subtilis (R0179), heat-inactivated R0179, or a tryptophan synthase-null strain of B. subtilis (1A2). Tissue levels of Trp, 5-HT, and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) were measured and changes in motility were evaluated. KEY

resultsMice treated with B. subtilis R0179 exhibited greater colonic tissue levels of Trp and the 5-HT breakdown product, 5-HIAA, compared to vehicle-treated mice. Furthermore, B. subtilis treatment accelerated colonic motility in both healthy mice as well as in a mouse model of constipation. These effects were not observed with heat-inactivated R0179 or the live 1A2 strain that does not express tryptophan synthase. Lastly, we found that the prokinetic effects of B. subtilis R0179 were blocked by coadministration of a 5-HT CONCLUSIONS AND INFERENCES: Taken together, these data demonstrate that intestinal motility can be augmented by treatment with bacteria that synthesize Trp, possibly through increased 5-HT signaling and/or actions of Trp metabolites, and involvement of the 5-HT

Indexed as

TryptophanTryptophan SynthaseAnimalsBacteriaGastrointestinal MotilityHydroxyindoleacetic AcidMiceMice, KnockoutSerotoninHydroxyindoleacetic AcidSerotoninTryptophanTryptophan Synthaseenteric nervous systemgut microbiotaintestinal motilitymicrobial metabolitestryptophan synthase

Identifiers

PMID37357378
PMCPMC10527075
OpenAlexW4382011138

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.