Metabolomics seeks to take a “snapshot” in a time of the levels, activities, regulation and interactions of all small molecule metabolites in response to a biological system with genetic or environmental changes. The emerging development in mass spectrometry technologies has shown promise in the discovery and quantitation of neuroactive small molecule metabolites associated with gut microbiota and brain. Significant progress has been made recently in the characterization of intermediate role of small molecule metabolites linked to neural development and neurodegenerative disorder, showing its potential in understanding the crosstalk between gut microbiota and the host brain. More evidence reveals that small molecule metabolites may play a critical role in mediating microbial effects on neurotransmission and disease development. Mass spectrometry‐based metabolomics is uniquely suitable for obtaining the metabolic signals in bidirectional communication between gut microbiota and brain. In this review, we summarized major mass spectrometry technologies including liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry, gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry, and imaging mass spectrometry for metabolomics studies of neurodegenerative disorders. We also reviewed the recent advances in the identification of new metabolites by mass spectrometry and metabolic pathways involved in the connection of intestinal microbiota and brain. These metabolic pathways allowed the microbiota to impact the regular function of the brain, which can in turn affect the composition of microbiota via the neurotransmitter substances. The dysfunctional interaction of this crosstalk connects neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease. The mass spectrometry‐based metabolomics analysis provides information for targeting dysfunctional pathways of small molecule metabolites in the development of the neurodegenerative diseases, which may be valuable for the investigation of underlying mechanism of therapeutic strategies.

中文翻译：

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基于质谱的代谢组学：针对神经退行性疾病中肠道菌群与大脑之间的串扰

代谢组学力求在对所有小分子代谢物的水平，活性，调节和相互作用的时间进行“快照”，以响应具有遗传或环境变化的生物系统。质谱技术的新兴发展在发现和定量与肠道菌群和大脑相关的神经活性小分子代谢物方面显示出了希望。最近在表征与神经发育和神经退行性疾病有关的小分子代谢物的中间作用方面取得了重大进展，显示了其在理解肠道菌群与宿主大脑之间的串扰方面的潜力。更多证据表明，小分子代谢物可能在介导微生物对神经传递和疾病发展的影响中起关键作用。基于质谱的代谢组学特别适用于在肠道菌群与大脑之间的双向通讯中获取代谢信号。在本文中，我们总结了主要的质谱技术，包括用于神经退行性疾病代谢组学研究的液相色谱-质谱，气相色谱-质谱和成像质谱。我们还回顾了通过质谱法和涉及肠道菌群与大脑的代谢途径鉴定新代谢物的最新进展。这些代谢途径允许微生物群影响大脑的正常功能，进而可以通过神经递质物质影响微生物群的组成。这种串扰的功能障碍相互作用会导致神经退行性疾病，包括帕金森氏病，阿尔茨海默氏病和亨廷顿氏病。基于质谱的代谢组学分析为靶向小分子代谢物在神经退行性疾病发展中功能障碍的途径提供了信息，这对于研究治疗策略的潜在机制可能是有价值的。