A type of virus present in the gut microbiota is associated with better cognitive ability in humans, mice and flies
Study finds a greater presence of these viruses in people who eat dairy products in their regular diet

Date:
February 22, 2022
Source:
Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Barcelona
Summary:
New research associates the presence of Caudovirales in gut
microbiota to an improvement in cognitive functions and memory
in humans, mice and flies. The results show that bacteriophages
present in the gut microbiota influence the relationship between
the microbiome and the brain.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
New research associates the presence of Caudovirales in gut microbiota
to an improvement in cognitive functions and memory in humans, mice and
flies. The article, published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe, was
led by Dr. Jordi Mayneris-Perxachs and Dr. Jose' Manuel Ferna'ndez-Real,
of the Nutrition, Eumetabolism and Health group of the Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI) Dr. Josep Trueta and CIBEROBN, and has been
carried out in collaboration with the Neuropharmacology research group
led by Dr. Rafael Maldonado of Pompeu Fabra University and attached
to the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM); the FISABIO Foundation, the University of Valencia (UV) and the University of Alicante (UA). The results show that bacteriophages present in the gut microbiota influence the relationship between the microbiome and the brain.


==========================================================================
In a sample of 114 people, which was later expanded to 942 subjects (participants in the IDIBGI's Ageing Imagenoma Project), the researchers
found that "individuals with more Caudovirales performed better at
executive processes and verbal memory, while the presence of higher
levels of Microviridae, on the other hand, was associated with a
greater deterioration in the brain's executive abilities," states
Dr. Ferna'ndez-Real, head of the Nutrition, Eumetabolism and Health group
of the IDIBGI and CIBEROBN, who is also Head of the Endocrinology Section
at Hospital Dr. Josep Trueta in Girona and director of the Department
of Medical Sciences at the University of Girona.

Dairy products, a possible means of acquiring Caudovirales Bacteriophages,
a type of virus that replicates within bacteria, represent one of the
largest gaps in the knowledge of the human microbiome. This research has focused on the study of two types of bacteriophages that are prevalent
in our gut microbiota: Caudovirales and Microviridae.

To find out how people can access these viruses, the researchers
conducted food surveys on the participants to find out about their
diet. Interestingly, individuals who had more Caudovirales in their gut microbiota consumed more dairy products on a regular basis. This finding
is supported by the scientific literature in this area: some previous
research indicated that people who ate more dairy produce had better
cognitive functions.

In order to further reinforce the result, an experiment was performed
in mice, using the microbiota present in the different samples of human
faeces, transplanting it into the intestine of the rodents. "Mice that
received a microbiota rich in Caudovirales performed better cognitively
than other mice, with significant improvements in spatial memory and
emotional memory," asserts Dr. Rafael Maldonado.

A second confirmatory experiment was conducted in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) as an animal model. First, one group of flies was fed whey powder, and it was seen to have greater memory capacity than the other
group of Drosophila that ingested sterilized, therefore virus-free,
whey powder. The experiment was repeated, but in this case the feeding
of the flies was supplemented with isolated bacteriophages. The results
were replicated again.

Observing a group of genes in the fly's brain, the authors found that
the presence of Caudovirales upregulated the genes associated with memory.

The results of this study reinforce the consideration of bacteriophage
viruses as influential actors in the relationship between the human
microbiome and the brain. In addition, the work opens the way to new
lines of research, such as the study of possible dietary supplements
with this virus in isolation to improve people's cognitive abilities.

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========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Jordi Mayneris-Perxachs, Anna Castells-Nobau, Mari'a Arnoriaga-
Rodri'guez, Josep Garre-Olmo, Josep Puig, Rafael Ramos, Francisco
Marti'nez-Herna'ndez, Aurelijus Burokas, Cla`udia Coll, Jose'
Maria Moreno-Navarrete, Cristina Zapata-Tona, Salvador Pedraza,
Vicente Pe'rez- Brocal, Llui's Ramio'-Torrenta`, Wifredo Ricart,
Andre's Moya, Manuel Marti'nez-Garci'a, Rafael Maldonado,
Jose'-Manuel Ferna'ndez-Real.

Caudovirales bacteriophages are associated with improved executive
function and memory in flies, mice, and humans. Cell Host & Microbe,
2022; DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2022.01.013 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220222135138.htm

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