Female mice become indifferent to their offspring due to intestinal bacteria

Scientists have found a connection between the behavior of female mice and the presence of a certain bacterium in their intestines. So,

According to the findings of researchers from the Salk Institute, a strain of E. coli bacteria makes female rodents indifferent to their offspring.

The results of the scientific work were shared by the publicationScience Advances. It is noted that the O16:H48 MG1655 strain was originally identified in the intestines of humans, but until this study, scientists believed that it did not affect cognitive behavior. Now researchers have found that the microbiome still affects the behavior of female mice. Moreover, this discovery can complement the understanding of the impact of intestinal bacteria on human behavior.

As part of a bacterial colonization experimentfemale mice, scientists found that the behavior of the pups remained normal, and the milk produced by the mothers was of the correct composition and produced in normal quantities. The same cannot be said about the behavior of the mothers themselves – the bacterium made them indifferent to their offspring.