{
  "id": 12908190,
  "title": "A Neuronally Active Bacterial Siderophore Manipulates Host Behavior and Longevity",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/a-neuronally-active-bacterial-siderophore-manipulates-host-behavior",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-08T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.30.755717v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Neurological decline and behavioral issues plague aging societies, underscoring the importance of understanding how gut bacteria influence brain function in later life. Researchers have devised a high-speed screening system to investigate bacterial genes and their effects on organismal behavior. By testing 3,985 bacterial mutants in conjunction with the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, they were able to analyze 768 distinct behaviors for each bacterial strain.\n\nThe study identified a specific group of bacterial genes associated with iron management that significantly altered host behavior. Further analysis showed that changes in iron homeostasis enhance the production of siderophores – molecules that bind iron – through a process dependent on the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Without enterobactin, a key siderophore, the bacteria could not induce alterations in worm movement.\n\nGenetic and molecular investigations demonstrated that enterobactin influences the host's neuromuscular system, impacting both longevity and overall health. The study pinpointed two proteins, mitochondrial glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase and the electron-transfer flavoproteins A and B, as being targeted by enterobactin, thus regulating mitochondrial function. Additionally, altering neuronal redox states using superoxide dismutase and catalase showed that the level of oxidative stress modulates enterobactin's effects on movement and lifespan through a neuropeptide receptor called PDFR-1.\n\nThese findings reveal that bacterial siderophores like enterobactin act as non-traditional neurotransmitters, controlling mitochondrial activity in neurons, influencing behavior, and affecting aging. The results establish a new gut-brain axis with significant implications for preserving health during the later stages of life.",
  "summary": "Aging populations face a growing burden of neurodegenerative disease and behavioral decline. The microbiota is increasingly implicated in host physiology, highlighting an urgent need to understand how gut microbes modulate brain function and late life health. Here, we develop a high-throughput microbe-host screening platform to systematically dissect how bacterial genes shape organismal behavior.…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}