Interspecific interactions and aging: Prediction of gerogenic bacteria and critical human protein targets of microbial infections

Bacteria permeate every niche of the human body with major consequences on our health and senescence that have not been fully described. Here, we predict which bacteria and which bacterial proteins could interfere with proteins associated with human aging using bipartite networks showing interspecific protein interactions coupled with investigations of published experimental evidence and transcriptomic data. We introduce the term of “gerogenic” bacteria, literally bacteria that could induce some aging in their host and discuss the mechanisms by which such bacteria could serve as age-distorters of humans. Salmonella, Escherichia and Shigella appear as major candidate age-distorters, characterized by a higher experimentally demonstrated potential than other bacteria to interact with human proteins associated with human aging and human cellular senescence. Our analysis also highlights an evolutionary convergence among bacterial and viral candidate age-distorting proteins, since 14 human proteins associated with aging can be commonly targeted by bacteria and viruses in case of microbial infection. Since infections are common and Salmonella, Escherichia and Shigella are frequently found as pathogens in our microbiomes, characterizing bacterial influence on our aging and our cellular senescence through molecular hijacking could enhance the understanding of the causes of aging and suggest new anti-aging therapies.