Prevotella corporis, a specific gut bacterium, uniquely activates the host's heat shock response and induces Hsp70 molecular chaperones that significantly reduce aggregation of disease-associated proteins including polyglutamine, amyloid-beta, and alpha-synuclein. Testing across 13 Prevotella species in both C. elegans and fruit fly models revealed P. corporis as exceptionally potent, even promoting disaggregation of existing protein clumps and improving survival under stress. This discovery illuminates a previously unknown protective mechanism where beneficial gut bacteria actively enhance the body's protein quality control systems. The finding carries profound implications for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, suggesting targeted microbiome interventions could offer therapeutic avenues. However, the research relies on invertebrate models, and translating these protective effects to humans remains unproven. The work is paradigm-shifting in establishing the gut as a proteostasis-regulating organ and identifying specific bacterial species rather than broad microbial categories as therapeutic targets. This precision represents a major advance over generic probiotic approaches, potentially enabling development of targeted bacterial therapies for protein conformational diseases.
Prevotella corporis Bacteria Activates Hsp70 Protection Against Protein Aggregation
📄 Based on research published in Cell stress & chaperones
Read the original paper →For informational, non-clinical use. Synthesized analysis of published research — may contain errors. Not medical advice. Consult original sources and your physician.