Association between gut virome and prenatal stress-induced changes in behavior and immune responses in male offspring

Prenatal stress is associated with anxiety-like behaviors and significant alterations in the gut microbiome of male offspring.

• Maternal stress during gestation may increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring.
• Alterations in the gut virome and bacteriome were observed specifically in male offspring exposed to prenatal stress.
• The gut microbial profile of male offspring is more similar to that of their mothers compared to female offspring.
• Transplantation of gut viromes from control offspring alleviated anxiety-like behaviors in prenatally stressed offspring.
• The findings suggest a causal link between prenatal stress, gut virome changes, immune response, and behavioral alterations.

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