The gut microbiome is known to play a critical role in health. But while most research has focused on the importance of bacteria, recently attention has turned to the viruses of bacteria in the gut. A study from the University of Copenhagen, recently published in Nature Microbiology, found that people who live over 100 years have a greater diversity of viruses that infect their gut bacteria than younger people, according to BigThink. Moreover, they found that viruses are linked to changes in bacterial metabolism that can support mucosal integrity and resistance to pathogens.
In the early 1970s, scientists discovered that the gut microbiota changes as we age. Recent studies have found that the changes are predictable and follow a pattern: the microbiota undergoes rapid and dramatic changes when young children switch to solid foods; later, during childhood, a balance between host and environment is reached, and the microbiota remains largely stable between 18 and 60 years of age. The balance is lost again dramatically after 60 years.
This discovery has scientists wondering what causes this change and what effect it has on health.
“We are always keen to find out why some people live extremely long lives. Previous research has shown that the gut bacteria of ancient Japanese citizens produce brand-new molecules that make them resistant to pathogenic microorganisms. And if their intestines are better protected against infection, then this is probably one of the things that makes them live longer than others,” said Joachim Johansen, a researcher at the University of Copenhagen.
In 2021, a team of Japanese scientists set out to observe the effect of this change on the health of the elderly. They found that centenarians have a distinct gut community enriched in microorganisms that synthesize powerful antimicrobial molecules that can kill multidrug-resistant pathogens, including Clostridioides difficile and Enterococcus faecium.
But while the change in the gut microbiome at the end of life could be beneficial for health, it is not known why the change occurs. To solve this mystery, Johansen and his colleagues turned their attention to an often overlooked member of the microbiome: viruses.
“Our intestines contain billions of viruses that live inside bacteria and are not interested in human cells; instead, it infects bacterial cells. Given that there are hundreds of different types of bacteria in our gut, there are also a lot of bacterial viruses,” said Simon Rasmussen, Johansen’s research advisor.
Scientists have so far explored the possibility of phage therapy, that is, the use of viruses that infect bacteria to kill pathogens. However, bacteriophages can also enhance the bacteria they infect. For example, they can provide genes that help their bacterial host attack other bacteria or provide new metabolic capabilities.
Johansen and his colleagues were interested in what types of viruses the centenarians had in their guts and found that the centenarians had a more diverse virome, including previously undescribed viral genera.
But the road to finding out the secret of long life is still long. “If we discover bacteria and viruses that have a positive effect on the human gut flora, the next obvious step is to find out whether only some of us or all of us have them,” adds Simon Rasmussen.
Post Views: 52
2023-08-02 16:44:00
#Viruses #live #years #trouble #Money
