Magnetotactic bacteria from the human gut microbiome associated with orientation and navigation regions of the brainShow others and affiliations
2021 (English)In: Journal of Oceanology and Limnology, ISSN 2096-5508, Vol. 39, no 6, p. 2044-2052Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB), ubiquitous in soil and fresh and saltwater sources have been identified in the microbiome of humans and many animals. MTB endogenously produce magnetic nanocrystals enabling them to orient and navigate along geomagnetic fields. Similar magnetite deposits have been found throughout the tissues of the human brain, including brain regions associated with orientation such as the cerebellum and hippocampus, the origins of which remain unknown. Speculation over the role and source of MTB in humans, as well as any association with the brain, remain unanswered. We performed a metagenomic analysis of the gut microbiome of 34 healthy females as well as grey matter volume analysis in magnetite-rich brain regions associated with orientation and navigation with the goal of identifying specific MTB that could be associated with brain structure in orientation and navigation regions. We identified seven MTB in the human gut microbiome: Magnetococcus marinus, Magnetospira sp. QH-2, Magnetospirillum magneticum, Magnetospirillum sp. ME-1, Magnetospirillum sp. XM-1, Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense, and Desulfovibrio magneticus. Our preliminary results show significant negative associations between multiple MTB with bilateral flocculonodular lobes of the cerebellum and hippocampus (adjusted for total intracranial volume, uncorrected P<0.05). These findings indicate that MTB in the gut are associated with grey matter volume in magnetite-rich brain regions related to orientation and navigation. These preliminary findings support MTB as a potential biogenic source for brain magnetite in humans. Further studies will be necessary to validate and elucidate the relationship between these bacteria, magnetite concentrations, and brain function.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Springer Nature, 2021. Vol. 39, no 6, p. 2044-2052
Keywords [en]
magnetotactic bacteria, human microbiome, microbiota-gut-brain axis, magnetoreception
National Category
Neurology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-179873DOI: 10.1007/s00343-021-0495-1ISI: 000694620600009Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-8511461561OAI: oai:DiVA.org:liu-179873DiVA, id: diva2:1600988
Note
Funded by: The AFA Insurance Research Foundation, the County Council of Östergotland, a Bengt Ihre Research Fellowship and the Ruth and Richard Julin Foundation. DAB was supported by the US National Science Foundation (No. EAR-1423939)
2021-10-062021-10-062024-01-10Bibliographically approved