A microbial compound in the gut leads to anxious behaviors in mice

Image credit: sibya via Pixabay. Original article by Lori Dajose. Source: California Institute of Technology. Science Daily – February 14, 2022.

A Caltech-led team of researchers has discovered that a small-molecule metabolite, produced by bacteria that reside in the mouse gut, can travel to the brain and alter the function of brain cells, leading to increased anxiety in mice. The work helps uncover a molecular explanation for recent observations that gut microbiome changes are associated with complex emotional behaviors. […]

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