Fig. 3

The microbiota–gut–brain axis in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Disordered gut microbes, through the microbiota–gut–brain axis, play a role in the pathogenesis of PD via the immune, endocrine, and nervous systems. a Alterations in intestinal microbes and their metabolites can leave the gut in an inflammatory state. These substances can cross the damaged intestinal barrier, activate mucosal immune cells, induce the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and promote misfolding and aggregation of α-syn. b Increased intestinal permeability allows release of signaling molecules by intestinal microbes and activated immune cells as well as through metabolic secretion to enter the circulation and cause systemic inflammation. c Misfolded α-syn in the gut can be transferred to the brain through intercellular transmission via the vagus nerve, and this transmission may be bidirectional. d The damaged blood–brain barrier and vagal pathways allow pathological products and α-syn to enter the brain, promoting the activation of immune cells in the brain, including microglia and astrocytes, causing neuroinflammation, and ultimately leading to the loss of dopaminergic neurons and the development of PD