Microbes may hold the key to brain evolution
Phys.org••science
Key Points:
- A Northwestern University study demonstrates that the gut microbiome directly influences brain function differences across primate species, linking microbial composition to brain evolution and energy demands.
- In experiments, mice implanted with gut microbes from large-brain primates (humans and squirrel monkeys) showed increased gene expression related to energy production and learning, whereas mice with microbes from small-brain primates (macaques) exhibited reduced expression of these genes.
- The brain gene expression patterns in mice mirrored those of the actual primates from which the microbes originated, suggesting a strong causal role of gut microbes in shaping brain function.
- Researchers found that mice with microbes from smaller-brain primates exhibited gene expression patterns associated with neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD, schizophrenia, bipolar
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