The gut microbiota regulates host intestinal serotonin synthesis, thereby promoting the development and maintenance of the enteric nervous system, which controls bowel motility. Functional bowel disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome, are associated with altered serotonin levels and gut microbiota composition. However, it is unclear if the gut microbiota can synthesize bioactive serotonin, which may affect enteric nervous system development. Here, we identify a consortium of the human gut bacteria Limosilactobacillus mucosae and Ligilactobacillus ruminis that synthesizes serotonin in vitro by decarboxylation of 5-hydroxytryptophan and elevates fecal serotonin levels, colonic neuronal density, and serotonin-immunoreactive neurons when introduced into germ-free, serotonin-deficient mice. The consortium normalizes intestinal transit time in germ-free wild-type mice, and we observe decreased fecal abundance of L. mucosae in individuals with irritable bowel syndrome. These findings suggest that specific members of the human gut microbiota synthesize bioactive serotonin that can contribute to gut health.

To the article in Cell reports