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Microviridae bacteriophages in the gut microbiome and food addiction in humans

Despite their abundance and despite being the most numerous biological entities on Earth, viruses remain one of the least understood components of the human microbiome. In our study, we show how Microviridae bacteriophages in the gut microbiome are associated with food addiction through changes in tryptophan, serotonin and dopamine metabolism.

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Fig. 1: Microviridae are associated with food addiction traits in a human cohort.

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This is a summary of: Castells-Nobau, A. et al. Microviridae bacteriophages influence behavioural hallmarks of food addiction via tryptophan and tyrosine signalling pathways. Nat. Metab. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-024-01157-x (2024).

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Microviridae bacteriophages in the gut microbiome and food addiction in humans. Nat Metab 6, 2035–2036 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-024-01158-w

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