Description
This episode: Certain phages in the gut are linked with increases in performance on some cognitive tests!
Download Episode (7.5 MB, 10.9 minutes)
Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Streptomyces bikiniensis
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Takeaways
Our gut microbiota includes a large number of viruses, mostly bacteriophages. These fall into two groups, the lytic kind that infects and reproduces itself immediately in a host, and the lysogenic kind that can integrate its genome into the host bacterial genome and remain dormant for long periods.
In this study, a higher proportion of lysogenic phages was correlated with increased performance on cognitive tests in multiple species. In humans, men showed a small increase in some tests and women in others. In mice and fruit flies, transplant or ingestion of phages was linked to increased memory performance.
Journal Paper:
Mayneris-Perxachs J, Castells-Nobau A, Arnoriaga-Rodríguez M, Garre-Olmo J, Puig J, Ramos R, Martínez-Hernández F, Burokas A, Coll C, Moreno-Navarrete JM, Zapata-Tona C, Pedraza S, Pérez-Brocal V, Ramió-Torrentà L, Ricart W, Moya A, Martínez-García M, Maldonado R, Fernández-Real J-M. 2022. Caudovirales bacteriophages are associated with improved executive function and memory in flies, mice, and humans. Cell Host Microbe 30:340-356.e8. Email questions or comments to bacteriofiles at gmail dot com. Thanks for listening!
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Download Episode (7.7 MB, 11.2 minutes)
Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Actinomadura livida
Takeaways
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Download Episode (6.0 MB, 8.7 minutes)
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Takeaways
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Download Episode (7.3 MB, 10.6 minutes)
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Microbe of the episode: Cajanus cajan Panzee virus
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Takeaways
How did life develop from single-celled organisms...
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