22The purpose of this study was to characterize the dynamical changes of gut microbiota and 23 explore the influence on bidirectional communications between the gut and the brain during a 24 relatively long-term intake of different protein diets. The C57BL/6J mice were fed casein, soy 25 protein and four kinds of processed meat proteins at a normal dose of 20% for 8 months. Protein 26 diets dramatically affected the microbial composition and function and also the signaling 27 molecule levels of the gut-brain axis in a dynamic manner, which consequently affected growth 28 performance. Alistipes, Clostridiales vadinBB60, Anaerotruncus, Blautia and Oscillibacter had a 29 relatively fast response to the diet, while Bacteroidales S24-7, Ruminiclostridium, 30 Ruminococcaceae UCG-014, Coriobacteriaceae UCG-002 and Bilophila responded slowly.
31Rikenellaceae RC9 gut, Faecalibaculum and Lachnospiraceae showed a continuous change with 32 feeding time. Bacteroidales S24-7 abundance increased from 4 months to 8 months, whereas 33 those of Rikenellaceae RC9 gut, Akkermansia, Alistipes and Anaerotruncus remarkably decreased.
34Five and fifteen biological functions of microbiota were affected at 4 months and 8 months, 35 respectively, and sixteen functions were observed to change over feeding time. Moreover, 28 and 36 48 specific operational taxonomy units were associated with the regulation of serotonin, peptide 37 YY, leptin and insulin levels at two time points. Ruminococcaceae was positively associated with 38 Lachnospiraceae and negatively associated with Bacteroidales S24-7. These results give an 39 important insight into the effect of gut microbiota on the bidirectional communications between 40 the gut and the brain under a certain type of diet. 41 42 3 Importance 43Many gastrointestinal and neuropsychiatric disorders may have a common pathophysiologic 44 mechanism, involving bidirectional brain-gut axis signaling through humoral and neural 45 pathways. The gut microbiota plays an important role in the communications between the gut 46 and the brain. Recent evidence suggests that a growing number of subjects suffer from the above 47 disorders. The significance of this study lies in the finding that long-term intake of different 48 proteins at a normal dose induces dynamic alterations of specific microbiota in mice, which 49 consequently affect bidirectional communications between the gut and the brain and results in 50 different growth performance through dynamically regulating signaling molecule levels.
51Furthermore, this study indicates that intake of the same diet for a long time, irrespective of the 52 diet source, may have an adverse effect on host health by altering gut microbiota. 53 54 55 56between the gut and the brain, coined the microbiota-gut-brain axis (1). The brain ensures 60 proper maintenance and coordination of gastrointestinal functions. In turn, the gut microbiota has 61 a great influence on central nervous system activities and host behavior, with chemical signaling 62 of the gut-brain ...