Compositions comprising bacterial strains

Abstract

The invention provides compositions comprising bacterial strains for treating and preventing central nervous system disorders and conditions.

1 .- 81 . (canceled) 
     
     
         82 . A method of treating a disease or a condition associated with dysfunction of a microbiota-gut-brain axis in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to the subject a pharmaceutical composition that comprises a therapeutically effective amount of a bacterial strain of the genus  Blautia  comprising a 16S rRNA gene sequence that has at least 95% sequence identity to the polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, or SEQ ID NO:7, wherein the administering is effective to treat the disease or the condition associated with dysfunction of the microbiota-gut-brain axis in the subject. 
     
     
         83 . The method of  claim 82 , wherein the disease or the condition associated with the microbiota-gut-brain axis is a disease or a condition of the central nervous system (CNS). 
     
     
         84 . The method of  claim 82 , wherein the disease or the condition associated with the microbiota-gut-brain axis comprises a neurodevelopmental disorder or a neuropsychiatric condition. 
     
     
         85 . The method of  claim 82 , wherein the disease or the condition associated with the microbiota-gut-brain axis comprises autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), child developmental disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), major depressive disorder, depression, seasonal affective disorder, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, psychosis, mood disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome (myalgic encephalomyelitis), stress disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, chronic pain, motor neuron disease, Huntington's disease, Guillain-Barre syndrome, or meningitis. 
     
     
         86 . The method of  claim 82 , wherein the treating comprises treating one or more symptoms, tissue damages, or behaviors associated with the disease or the condition. 
     
     
         87 . The method of  claim 82 , wherein the bacterial strain modulates a level of commensal metabolites in the subject. 
     
     
         88 . The method of  claim 82 , wherein the bacterial strain increases the level of butyrate in the subject. 
     
     
         89 . The method of  claim 82 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition is formulated for delivery to an intestine of the subject. 
     
     
         90 . The method of  claim 82 , wherein the bacterial strain is live and capable of at least partially colonizing an intestine of the subject. 
     
     
         91 . The method of  claim 82 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition is formulated for oral administration. 
     
     
         92 . The method of  claim 82 , wherein the bacterial strain is lyophilized. 
     
     
         93 . The method of  claim 82 , wherein the therapeutically effective amount comprises from about 1×10 3  to about 1×10 11  colony forming units (CFU). 
     
     
         94 . The method of  claim 82 , wherein the at least 95% sequence identity is determined by a Smith-Waterman homology search algorithm using an affine gap search with a gap open penalty of 12 and a gap extension penalty of 2. 
     
     
         95 . The method of  claim 82 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition comprises one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients or carriers. 
     
     
         96 . The method of  claim 82 , wherein the bacterial strain is of the species  Blautia stercoris, Blautia wexlerae , or  Blautia hydrogenotrophica.    
     
     
         97 . The method of  claim 82 , wherein the bacterial strain comprises a 16S rRNA gene sequence that has at least 98% sequence identity to the polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, or SEQ ID NO:7, as determined by a Smith-Waterman homology search algorithm using an affine gap search with a gap open penalty of 12 and a gap extension penalty of 2. 
     
     
         98 . The method of  claim 82 , wherein the bacterial strain comprises a 16S rRNA gene sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, or SEQ ID NO:7. 
     
     
         99 . The method of  claim 82 , wherein the bacterial strain is the bacterial strain deposited under accession number NCIMB 42381, the bacterial strain deposited under accession number NCIMB 42486, or the bacterial strain deposited under accession number DSM 14294. 
     
     
         100 . A method of modulating a microbiota-gut-brain axis in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to the subject a pharmaceutical composition that comprises a therapeutically effective amount of a bacterial strain of the genus  Blautia  comprising a 16S rRNA gene sequence that has at least 95% sequence identity to the polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, or SEQ ID NO:7, as determined by a Smith-Waterman homology search algorithm using an affine gap search with a gap open penalty of 12 and a gap extension penalty of 2, wherein the administering is effective to modulate the microbiota-gut-brain axis in the subject. 
     
     
         101 . The method of  claim 100 , wherein the bacterial strain comprises a 16S rRNA gene sequence that has at least 98% sequence identity to the polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, or SEQ ID NO:7, as determined by a Smith-Waterman homology search algorithm using an affine gap search with a gap open penalty of 12 and a gap extension penalty of 2.