Bacillus Subtilis TO-A Suppresses The Age-Related Decline In Locomotion In Caenorhabditis Elegans
As we age, a decline in physical movement is a common concern, often linked to changes in our muscles. Exciting new research using a tiny worm called Caenorhabditis elegans, a popular model in biological studies, sheds light on a potential way to combat this. The study explored the effects of a specific beneficial bacterium, Bacillus subtilis TO-A, which is a type of probiotic—live microorganisms that provide health benefits when consumed.
Researchers discovered that older worms fed this probiotic maintained better movement capabilities compared to those on a regular diet. Delving deeper, they found that the probiotic helped preserve the crucial “actin structure” in the worms’ body wall muscles. Actin is a protein vital for muscle contraction and overall cell shape, so maintaining its structure is key for strong, functional muscles.
Furthermore, the probiotic influenced the worms’ response to oxidative stress, an imbalance of harmful molecules that can damage cells and contribute to aging. Worms given Bacillus subtilis TO-A showed better survival rates when exposed to a substance that induces oxidative stress. This protective effect appears to be partly due to the probiotic’s ability to maintain the expression of a gene called gpx-7, which is involved in antioxidant defense. These findings suggest that consuming this particular probiotic might help prevent the age-related decline in movement, similar to how it could potentially address sarcopenia—the age-related loss of muscle mass and function in humans.