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Fonseca S, Carvalho AL, Miquel-Clopés A, Jones EJ, Juodeikis R, Stentz R, Carding SR. Corrigendum: Extracellular vesicles produced by the human gut commensal bacterium Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron elicit anti-inflammatory responses from innate immune cells. Front Microbiol 2024; 14:1353539. [PMID: 38235433 PMCID: PMC10794089 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1353539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1050271.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Fonseca
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Ana L. Carvalho
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | | | - Emily J. Jones
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Rokas Juodeikis
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Régis Stentz
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Simon R. Carding
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
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2
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Stentz R, Cheema J, Philo M, Carding SR. A Possible Aquatic Origin of the Thiaminase TenA of the Human Gut Symbiont Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron. J Mol Evol 2023; 91:482-491. [PMID: 37022443 PMCID: PMC10277260 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-023-10101-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
TenA thiamin-degrading enzymes are commonly found in prokaryotes, plants, fungi and algae and are involved in the thiamin salvage pathway. The gut symbiont Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (Bt) produces a TenA protein (BtTenA) which is packaged into its extracellular vesicles. An alignment of BtTenA protein sequence with proteins from different databases using the basic local alignment search tool (BLAST) and the generation of a phylogenetic tree revealed that BtTenA is related to TenA-like proteins not only found in a small number of intestinal bacterial species but also in some aquatic bacteria, aquatic invertebrates, and freshwater fish. This is, to our knowledge, the first report describing the presence of TenA-encoding genes in the genome of members of the animal kingdom. By searching metagenomic databases of diverse host-associated microbial communities, we found that BtTenA homologues were mostly represented in biofilms present on the surface of macroalgae found in Australian coral reefs. We also confirmed the ability of a recombinant BtTenA to degrade thiamin. Our study shows that BttenA-like genes which encode a novel sub-class of TenA proteins are sparingly distributed across two kingdoms of life, a feature of accessory genes known for their ability to spread between species through horizontal gene transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Régis Stentz
- Quadram Institute Bioscience, Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Norwich, UK.
| | - Jitender Cheema
- Computational and Systems Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK
| | - Mark Philo
- Core Science Resources, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK
| | - Simon R Carding
- Quadram Institute Bioscience, Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Norwich, UK
- Norwich Medical School, University East Anglia, Norwich, UK
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Fonseca S, Carvalho AL, Miquel-Clopés A, Jones EJ, Juodeikis R, Stentz R, Carding SR. Extracellular vesicles produced by the human gut commensal bacterium Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron elicit anti-inflammatory responses from innate immune cells. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1050271. [PMID: 36439842 PMCID: PMC9684339 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1050271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 07/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial extracellular vesicles (BEVs) produced by gut commensal bacteria have been proposed to play an important role in maintaining host homeostasis via interactions with the immune system. Details of the mediators and pathways of BEV-immune cell interactions are however incomplete. In this study, we provide evidence for the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties of extracellular vesicles produced by the prominent human gut commensal bacterium Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (Bt BEVs) and identify the molecular mechanisms underlying their interaction with innate immune cells. Administration of Bt BEVs to mice treated with colitis-inducing dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) ameliorates the symptoms of intestinal inflammation, improving survival rate and reducing weight loss and disease activity index scores, in association with upregulation of IL-10 production in colonic tissue and in splenocytes. Pre-treatment (conditioning) of murine bone marrow derived monocytes (BMDM) with Bt BEVs resulted in higher ratio of IL-10/TNFα production after an LPS challenge when compared to LPS pre-conditioned or non-conditioned BMDM. Using the THP-1 monocytic cell line the interactions between Bt BEVs and monocytes/macrophages were shown to be mediated primarily by TLR2. Histone (H3K4me1) methylation analysis showed that Bt BEVs induced epigenetic reprogramming which persisted after infectious challenge, as revealed by increased levels of H3K4me1 in Bt BEV-conditioned LPS-challenged BMDM. Collectively, our findings highlight the important role of Bt BEVs in maintaining host immune homeostasis and raise the promising possibility of considering their use in immune therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Fonseca
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Ana L. Carvalho
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | | | - Emily J. Jones
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Rokas Juodeikis
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Régis Stentz
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Simon R. Carding
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
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Stentz R, Jones E, Juodeikis R, Wegmann U, Guirro M, Goldson AJ, Brion A, Booth C, Sudhakar P, Brown IR, Korcsmáros T, Carding SR. The Proteome of Extracellular Vesicles Produced by the Human Gut Bacteria Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron In Vivo Is Influenced by Environmental and Host-Derived Factors. Appl Environ Microbiol 2022; 88:e0053322. [PMID: 35916501 PMCID: PMC9397113 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00533-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial extracellular vesicles (BEVs) released from both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria provide an effective means of communication and trafficking of cell signaling molecules. In the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) BEVs produced by members of the intestinal microbiota can impact host health by mediating microbe-host cell interactions. A major unresolved question, however, is what factors influence the composition of BEV proteins and whether the host influences protein packaging into BEVs and secretion into the GIT. To address this, we have analyzed the proteome of BEVs produced by the major human gut symbiont Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron both in vitro and in vivo in the murine GIT in order to identify proteins specifically enriched in BEVs produced in vivo. We identified 113 proteins enriched in BEVs produced in vivo, the majority (62/113) of which accumulated in BEVs in the absence of any changes in their expression by the parental cells. Among these selectively enriched proteins, we identified dipeptidyl peptidases and an asparaginase and confirmed their increased activity in BEVs produced in vivo. We also showed that intact BEVs are capable of degrading bile acids via a bile salt hydrolase. Collectively these findings provide additional evidence for the dynamic interplay of host-microbe interactions in the GIT and the existence of an active mechanism to drive and enrich a selected group of proteins for secretion into BEVs in the GIT. IMPORTANCE The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) harbors a complex community of microbes termed the microbiota that plays a role in maintaining the host's health and wellbeing. How this comes about and the nature of microbe-host cell interactions in the GIT is still unclear. Recently, nanosized vesicles naturally produced by bacterial constituents of the microbiota have been shown to influence responses of different host cells although the molecular basis and identity of vesicle-born bacterial proteins that mediate these interactions is unclear. We show here that bacterial extracellular vesicles (BEVs) produced by the human symbiont Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron in the GIT are enriched in a set of proteins and enzymes, including dipeptidyl peptidases, an asparaginase and a bile salt hydrolase that can influence host cell biosynthetic pathways. Our results provide new insights into the molecular basis of microbiota-host interactions that are central to maintaining GIT homeostasis and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Régis Stentz
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Emily Jones
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Rokas Juodeikis
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Udo Wegmann
- School of Chemistry, University East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Guirro
- Biochemistry and Biotechnology Department, Nutrigenomics Research Group, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain
- Eurecat, Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya, Centre for Omic Sciences (COS), Joint Unit Universitat Rovira i Virgili-EURECAT, Unique Scientific and Technical Infrastructures (ICTS), Reus, Spain
| | - Andrew J. Goldson
- Core Science Resources Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Arlaine Brion
- Core Science Resources Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Catherine Booth
- Core Science Resources Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Padhmanand Sudhakar
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
- Earlham Institute, Norwich, United Kingdom
- Department of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism and Ageing, TARGID, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ian R. Brown
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Tamás Korcsmáros
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
- Earlham Institute, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Simon R. Carding
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
- Norwich Medical School, University East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
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Gul L, Modos D, Fonseca S, Madgwick M, Thomas JP, Sudhakar P, Booth C, Stentz R, Carding SR, Korcsmaros T. Extracellular vesicles produced by the human commensal gut bacterium Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron affect host immune pathways in a cell-type specific manner that are altered in inflammatory bowel disease. J Extracell Vesicles 2022; 11:e12189. [PMID: 35064769 PMCID: PMC8783345 DOI: 10.1002/jev2.12189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The gastrointestinal (GI) tract harbours a complex microbial community, which contributes to its homeostasis. A disrupted microbiome can cause GI-related diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), therefore identifying host-microbe interactions is crucial for better understanding gut health. Bacterial extracellular vesicles (BEVs), released into the gut lumen, can cross the mucus layer and access underlying immune cells. To study BEV-host interactions, we examined the influence of BEVs generated by the gut commensal bacterium, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, on host immune cells. Single-cell RNA sequencing data and host-microbe protein-protein interaction networks were used to predict the effect of BEVs on dendritic cells, macrophages and monocytes focusing on the Toll-like receptor (TLR) pathway. We identified biological processes affected in each immune cell type and cell-type specific processes including myeloid cell differentiation. TLR pathway analysis highlighted that BEV targets differ among cells and between the same cells in healthy versus disease (ulcerative colitis) conditions. The in silico findings were validated in BEV-monocyte co-cultures demonstrating the requirement for TLR4 and Toll-interleukin-1 receptor domain-containing adaptor protein (TIRAP) in BEV-elicited NF-kB activation. This study demonstrates that both cell-type and health status influence BEV-host communication. The results and the pipeline could facilitate BEV-based therapies for the treatment of IBD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dezso Modos
- Earlham Institute, NorwichNorwichUK
- Gut Microbes and Health Research ProgrammeQuadram Institute BioscienceNorwichUK
| | - Sonia Fonseca
- Gut Microbes and Health Research ProgrammeQuadram Institute BioscienceNorwichUK
| | - Matthew Madgwick
- Earlham Institute, NorwichNorwichUK
- Gut Microbes and Health Research ProgrammeQuadram Institute BioscienceNorwichUK
| | - John P. Thomas
- Earlham Institute, NorwichNorwichUK
- Department of GastroenterologyNorfolk and Norwich University HospitalNorwichUK
| | - Padhmanand Sudhakar
- Earlham Institute, NorwichNorwichUK
- Gut Microbes and Health Research ProgrammeQuadram Institute BioscienceNorwichUK
- KU Leuven Department of Chronic DiseasesMetabolism and AgeingTranslational Research Centre for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID)LeuvenBelgium
| | | | - Régis Stentz
- Gut Microbes and Health Research ProgrammeQuadram Institute BioscienceNorwichUK
| | - Simon R. Carding
- Gut Microbes and Health Research ProgrammeQuadram Institute BioscienceNorwichUK
- Norwich Medical SchoolUniversity of East AngliaNorwichUK
| | - Tamas Korcsmaros
- Earlham Institute, NorwichNorwichUK
- Gut Microbes and Health Research ProgrammeQuadram Institute BioscienceNorwichUK
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Jones E, Stentz R, Telatin A, Savva GM, Booth C, Baker D, Rudder S, Knight SC, Noble A, Carding SR. The Origin of Plasma-Derived Bacterial Extracellular Vesicles in Healthy Individuals and Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Pilot Study. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:1636. [PMID: 34681030 PMCID: PMC8535827 DOI: 10.3390/genes12101636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The gastrointestinal tract harbors the gut microbiota, structural alterations of which (dysbiosis) are linked with an increase in gut permeability ("leaky gut"), enabling luminal antigens and bacterial products such as nanosized bacterial extracellular vesicles (BEVs) to access the circulatory system. Blood-derived BEVs contain various cargoes and may be useful biomarkers for diagnosis and monitoring of disease status and relapse in conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). To progress this concept, we developed a rapid, cost-effective protocol to isolate BEV-associated DNA and used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to identify bacterial origins of the blood microbiome of healthy individuals and patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing successfully identified the origin of plasma-derived BEV DNA. The analysis showed that the blood microbiota richness, diversity, or composition in IBD, healthy control, and protocol control groups were not significantly distinct, highlighting the issue of 'kit-ome' contamination in low-biomass studies. Our pilot study provides the basis for undertaking larger studies to determine the potential use of blood microbiota profiling as a diagnostic aid in IBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Jones
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK; (E.J.); (R.S.); (A.T.); (G.M.S.); (D.B.); (S.R.)
| | - Régis Stentz
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK; (E.J.); (R.S.); (A.T.); (G.M.S.); (D.B.); (S.R.)
| | - Andrea Telatin
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK; (E.J.); (R.S.); (A.T.); (G.M.S.); (D.B.); (S.R.)
| | - George M. Savva
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK; (E.J.); (R.S.); (A.T.); (G.M.S.); (D.B.); (S.R.)
| | - Catherine Booth
- Core Science Resources, Quadram Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK;
| | - David Baker
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK; (E.J.); (R.S.); (A.T.); (G.M.S.); (D.B.); (S.R.)
| | - Steven Rudder
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK; (E.J.); (R.S.); (A.T.); (G.M.S.); (D.B.); (S.R.)
| | - Stella C. Knight
- Antigen Presentation Research Group, Northwick Park & St. Mark’s Hospital Campus, Imperial College London, Harrow HA1 3UJ, UK; (S.C.K.); (A.N.)
| | - Alistair Noble
- Antigen Presentation Research Group, Northwick Park & St. Mark’s Hospital Campus, Imperial College London, Harrow HA1 3UJ, UK; (S.C.K.); (A.N.)
| | - Simon R. Carding
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK; (E.J.); (R.S.); (A.T.); (G.M.S.); (D.B.); (S.R.)
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
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Dilke SM, Durant LR, Stentz R, Wilson A, Tozer PJ, Vaizey CJ, Hoyles L, Carding S, Knight SC, Noble A. O8: DIRECT MANIPULATION OF THE INTESTINAL MICROBIOME TO INFLUENCE POST-OPERATIVE OUTCOMES. Br J Surg 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/bjs/znab117.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction
Distal feeding (DF) involves intubation of the distal limb of a loop ileostomy to feed with a prebiotic mix. Studies suggest that distally feeding patients following anterior resection prior to ileostomy closure may be beneficial as a form of bowel pre-habilitation. These pilot data examine the adaptive immune response to DF.
Method
Ten healthy controls with an intact GI tract were compared with 10 patients following rectal cancer resection and chemo/radiotherapy, prior to closure of ileostomy over 8 weeks of DF. We examined B and T cell memory responses from peripheral blood using cell proliferation assays. Cells were cultured with dead antigen to reflect the microbiota in the small and large bowel. Two negative and two positive controls were used to assess minimal and maximum cell proliferation.
Result
B cell responses prior to DF were increased in the defunctioned group compared to the normal controls to significance (p=0.0014). After 8 weeks of DF the groups were comparable. T cell responses to bacteria had significant differences in proliferation rate following DF commencement, CD4 week 0 vs 3 p=0.0001, week 3 vs 8 p=0.000034, CD8 week 0 vs 3 p=0.0001, week 3-8 p=0.00024). In individual patients, CD4 responses were shown to shift from responses to facultative aerobic species, to strict anaerobes.
Conclusion
These data suggest that distal feeding fundamentally resets peripheral circulating memory and it may be of use in pre-habilitating the bowel prior to restoration of continuity. Early clinical data suggests that distal feeding improves post-operative outcomes.
Take-home message
distal feeding is an easy pre-operative intervention that has a significant effect on cell proliferation and antigen response, which may contribute to improved post operative outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- SM Dilke
- St Mark's Hospital
- Antigen Presenting Group, Imperial College London
| | - LR Durant
- Antigen Presenting Group, Imperial College London
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - SC Knight
- Antigen Presenting Group, Imperial College London
| | - A Noble
- Antigen Presenting Group, Imperial College London
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Durant L, Stentz R, Noble A, Brooks J, Gicheva N, Reddi D, O’Connor MJ, Hoyles L, McCartney AL, Man R, Pring ET, Dilke S, Hendy P, Segal JP, Lim DNF, Misra R, Hart AL, Arebi N, Carding SR, Knight SC. Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron-derived outer membrane vesicles promote regulatory dendritic cell responses in health but not in inflammatory bowel disease. Microbiome 2020; 8:88. [PMID: 32513301 PMCID: PMC7282036 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-020-00868-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (Bt) is a prominent member of the human intestinal microbiota that, like all gram-negative bacteria, naturally generates nanosized outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) which bud off from the cell surface. Importantly, OMVs can cross the intestinal epithelial barrier to mediate microbe-host cell crosstalk involving both epithelial and immune cells to help maintain intestinal homeostasis. Here, we have examined the interaction between Bt OMVs and blood or colonic mucosa-derived dendritic cells (DC) from healthy individuals and patients with Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC). RESULTS In healthy individuals, Bt OMVs stimulated significant (p < 0.05) IL-10 expression by colonic DC, whereas in peripheral blood-derived DC they also stimulated significant (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01, respectively) expression of IL-6 and the activation marker CD80. Conversely, in UC Bt OMVs were unable to elicit IL-10 expression by colonic DC. There were also reduced numbers of CD103+ DC in the colon of both UC and CD patients compared to controls, supporting a loss of regulatory DC in both diseases. Furthermore, in CD and UC, Bt OMVs elicited a significantly lower proportion of DC which expressed IL-10 (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively) in blood compared to controls. These alterations in DC responses to Bt OMVs were seen in patients with inactive disease, and thus are indicative of intrinsic defects in immune responses to this commensal in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). CONCLUSIONS Overall, our findings suggest a key role for OMVs generated by the commensal gut bacterium Bt in directing a balanced immune response to constituents of the microbiota locally and systemically during health which is altered in IBD patients. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Durant
- Antigen Presentation Research Group, Imperial College London, Northwick Park & St. Mark’s Hospital Campus, Watford Rd, Harrow, Greater London HA1 3UJ UK
| | - Régis Stentz
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, NR4 7UQ UK
| | - Alistair Noble
- Antigen Presentation Research Group, Imperial College London, Northwick Park & St. Mark’s Hospital Campus, Watford Rd, Harrow, Greater London HA1 3UJ UK
| | - Johanne Brooks
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, NR4 7UQ UK
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ UK
| | - Nadezhda Gicheva
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, NR4 7UQ UK
| | - Durga Reddi
- Antigen Presentation Research Group, Imperial College London, Northwick Park & St. Mark’s Hospital Campus, Watford Rd, Harrow, Greater London HA1 3UJ UK
| | - Matthew J. O’Connor
- Antigen Presentation Research Group, Imperial College London, Northwick Park & St. Mark’s Hospital Campus, Watford Rd, Harrow, Greater London HA1 3UJ UK
| | - Lesley Hoyles
- Department of Biosciences, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Campus, Nottingham, NG11 8NS UK
| | - Anne L. McCartney
- Food Microbial Sciences Unit, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6UR UK
| | - Ripple Man
- St Mark’s Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Harrow, Greater London HA1 3UJ UK
| | - E. Tobias Pring
- Antigen Presentation Research Group, Imperial College London, Northwick Park & St. Mark’s Hospital Campus, Watford Rd, Harrow, Greater London HA1 3UJ UK
- St Mark’s Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Harrow, Greater London HA1 3UJ UK
| | - Stella Dilke
- Antigen Presentation Research Group, Imperial College London, Northwick Park & St. Mark’s Hospital Campus, Watford Rd, Harrow, Greater London HA1 3UJ UK
- St Mark’s Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Harrow, Greater London HA1 3UJ UK
| | - Philip Hendy
- Antigen Presentation Research Group, Imperial College London, Northwick Park & St. Mark’s Hospital Campus, Watford Rd, Harrow, Greater London HA1 3UJ UK
- St Mark’s Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Harrow, Greater London HA1 3UJ UK
| | - Jonathan P. Segal
- St Mark’s Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Harrow, Greater London HA1 3UJ UK
| | - Dennis N. F. Lim
- St Mark’s Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Harrow, Greater London HA1 3UJ UK
| | - Ravi Misra
- St Mark’s Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Harrow, Greater London HA1 3UJ UK
| | - Ailsa L. Hart
- St Mark’s Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Harrow, Greater London HA1 3UJ UK
| | - Naila Arebi
- St Mark’s Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Harrow, Greater London HA1 3UJ UK
| | - Simon R. Carding
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, NR4 7UQ UK
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ UK
| | - Stella C. Knight
- Antigen Presentation Research Group, Imperial College London, Northwick Park & St. Mark’s Hospital Campus, Watford Rd, Harrow, Greater London HA1 3UJ UK
- St Mark’s Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Harrow, Greater London HA1 3UJ UK
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9
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Jones EJ, Booth C, Fonseca S, Parker A, Cross K, Miquel-Clopés A, Hautefort I, Mayer U, Wileman T, Stentz R, Carding SR. The Uptake, Trafficking, and Biodistribution of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron Generated Outer Membrane Vesicles. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:57. [PMID: 32117106 PMCID: PMC7015872 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria ubiquitously produce and release nano-size, non-replicative outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). In the gastrointestinal (GI-) tract, OMVs generated by members of the intestinal microbiota are believed to contribute to maintaining the intestinal microbial ecosystem and mediating bacteria-host interactions, including the delivery of bacterial effector molecules to host cells to modulate their physiology. Bacterial OMVs have also been found in the bloodstream although their origin and fate are unclear. Here we have investigated the interactions between OMVs produced by the major human gut commensal bacterium, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (Bt), with cells of the GI-tract. Using a combination of in vitro culture systems including intestinal epithelial organoids and in vivo imaging we show that intestinal epithelial cells principally acquire Bt OMVs via dynamin-dependent endocytosis followed by intracellular trafficking to LAMP-1 expressing endo-lysosomal vesicles and co-localization with the perinuclear membrane. We observed that Bt OMVs can also transmigrate through epithelial cells via a paracellular route with in vivo imaging demonstrating that within hours of oral administration Bt OMVs can be detected in systemic tissues and in particular, the liver. Our findings raise the intriguing possibility that OMVs may act as a long-distance microbiota-host communication system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J. Jones
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Catherine Booth
- Core Science Resources, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Sonia Fonseca
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Aimee Parker
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn Cross
- Core Science Resources, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Ariadna Miquel-Clopés
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ulrike Mayer
- Biomedical Research Centre, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Tom Wileman
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Régis Stentz
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Simon R. Carding
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
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10
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Carvalho AL, Miquel-Clopés A, Wegmann U, Jones E, Stentz R, Telatin A, Walker NJ, Butcher WA, Brown PJ, Holmes S, Dennis MJ, Williamson ED, Funnell SGP, Stock M, Carding SR. Use of bioengineered human commensal gut bacteria-derived microvesicles for mucosal plague vaccine delivery and immunization. Clin Exp Immunol 2019; 196:287-304. [PMID: 30985006 PMCID: PMC6514708 DOI: 10.1111/cei.13301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Plague caused by the Gram‐negative bacterium, Yersinia pestis, is still endemic in parts of the world today. Protection against pneumonic plague is essential to prevent the development and spread of epidemics. Despite this, there are currently no licensed plague vaccines in the western world. Here we describe the means of delivering biologically active plague vaccine antigens directly to mucosal sites of plague infection using highly stable microvesicles (outer membrane vesicles; OMVs) that are naturally produced by the abundant and harmless human commensal gut bacterium Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (Bt). Bt was engineered to express major plague protective antigens in its OMVs, specifically Fraction 1 (F1) in the outer membrane and LcrV (V antigen) in the lumen, for targeted delivery to the gastrointestinal (GI) and respiratory tracts in a non‐human primate (NHP) host. Our key findings were that Bt OMVs stably expresses F1 and V plague antigens, particularly the V antigen, in the correct, immunogenic form. When delivered intranasally V‐OMVs elicited substantive and specific immune and antibody responses, both in the serum [immunoglobulin (Ig)G] and in the upper and lower respiratory tract (IgA); this included the generation of serum antibodies able to kill plague bacteria. Our results also showed that Bt OMV‐based vaccines had many desirable characteristics, including: biosafety and an absence of any adverse effects, pathology or gross alteration of resident microbial communities (microbiotas); high stability and thermo‐tolerance; needle‐free delivery; intrinsic adjuvanticity; the ability to stimulate both humoral and cell‐mediated immune responses; and targeting of primary sites of plague infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- A L Carvalho
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK
| | - A Miquel-Clopés
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK
| | - U Wegmann
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK
| | - E Jones
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK
| | - R Stentz
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK
| | - A Telatin
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK
| | - N J Walker
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton, Salisbury, UK
| | - W A Butcher
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton, Salisbury, UK
| | - P J Brown
- Public Health England, Porton, Porton, Salisbury, UK
| | - S Holmes
- Public Health England, Porton, Porton, Salisbury, UK
| | - M J Dennis
- Public Health England, Porton, Porton, Salisbury, UK
| | - E D Williamson
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton, Salisbury, UK
| | - S G P Funnell
- Public Health England, Porton, Porton, Salisbury, UK
| | - M Stock
- Plant Biotechnology Ltd, Norwich, UK
| | - S R Carding
- Gut Microbes and Health Research Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK.,Norwich Medical School, University East Anglia, Norwich, UK
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11
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Bryant WA, Stentz R, Le Gall G, Sternberg MJE, Carding SR, Wilhelm T. In Silico Analysis of the Small Molecule Content of Outer Membrane Vesicles Produced by Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron Indicates an Extensive Metabolic Link between Microbe and Host. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2440. [PMID: 29276507 PMCID: PMC5727896 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 11/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The interactions between the gut microbiota and its host are of central importance to the health of the host. Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are produced ubiquitously by Gram-negative bacteria including the gut commensal Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron. These vesicles can interact with the host in various ways but until now their complement of small molecules has not been investigated in this context. Using an untargeted high-coverage metabolomic approach we have measured the small molecule content of these vesicles in contrasting in vitro conditions to establish what role these metabolites could perform when packed into these vesicles. B. thetaiotaomicron packs OMVs with a highly conserved core set of small molecules which are strikingly enriched with mouse-digestible metabolites and with metabolites previously shown to be associated with colonization of the murine GIT. By use of an expanded genome-scale metabolic model of B. thetaiotaomicron and a potential host (the mouse) we have established many possible metabolic pathways between the two organisms that were previously unknown, and have found several putative novel metabolic functions for mouse that are supported by gene annotations, but that do not currently appear in existing mouse metabolic networks. The lipidome of these OMVs bears no relation to the mouse lipidome, so the purpose of this particular composition of lipids remains unclear. We conclude from this analysis that through intimate symbiotic evolution OMVs produced by B. thetaiotaomicron are likely to have been adopted as a conduit for small molecules bound for the mammalian host in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- William A. Bryant
- Centre for Integrative Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Régis Stentz
- Gut Health and Food Safety Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Gwenaelle Le Gall
- Metabolomics Unit, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Michael J. E. Sternberg
- Centre for Integrative Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Simon R. Carding
- Gut Health and Food Safety Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Wilhelm
- Theoretical Systems Biology Lab, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
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Horn N, Carvalho AL, Overweg K, Wegmann U, Carding SR, Stentz R. A Novel Tightly Regulated Gene Expression System for the Human Intestinal Symbiont Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1080. [PMID: 27468280 PMCID: PMC4942465 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There is considerable interest in studying the function of Bacteroides species resident in the human gastrointestinal (GI)-tract and the contribution they make to host health. Reverse genetics and protein expression techniques, such as those developed for well-characterized Escherichia coli cannot be applied to Bacteroides species as they and other members of the Bacteriodetes phylum have unique promoter structures. The availability of useful Bacteroides-specific genetic tools is therefore limited. Here we describe the development of an effective mannan-controlled gene expression system for Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron containing the mannan-inducible promoter-region of an α-1,2-mannosidase gene (BT_3784), a ribosomal binding site designed to modulate expression, a multiple cloning site to facilitate the cloning of genes of interest, and a transcriptional terminator. Using the Lactobacillus pepI as a reporter gene, mannan induction resulted in an increase of reporter activity in a time- and concentration-dependent manner with a wide range of activity. The endogenous BtcepA cephalosporinase gene was used to demonstrate the suitability of this novel expression system, enabling the isolation of a His-tagged version of BtCepA. We have also shown with experiments performed in mice that the system can be induced in vivo in the presence of an exogenous source of mannan. By enabling the controlled expression of endogenous and exogenous genes in B. thetaiotaomicron this novel inducer-dependent expression system will aid in defining the physiological role of individual genes and the functional analyses of their products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikki Horn
- Gut Health and Food Safety Programme, Carding's Lab, Institute of Food Research Norwich, UK
| | - Ana L Carvalho
- Gut Health and Food Safety Programme, Carding's Lab, Institute of Food Research Norwich, UK
| | - Karin Overweg
- Gut Health and Food Safety Programme, Carding's Lab, Institute of Food Research Norwich, UK
| | - Udo Wegmann
- Gut Health and Food Safety Programme, Carding's Lab, Institute of Food Research Norwich, UK
| | - Simon R Carding
- Gut Health and Food Safety Programme, Carding's Lab, Institute of Food ResearchNorwich, UK; Department of Medicine, Norwich Medical School, University of East AngliaNorwich, UK
| | - Régis Stentz
- Gut Health and Food Safety Programme, Carding's Lab, Institute of Food Research Norwich, UK
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13
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Stentz R, Horn N, Cross K, Salt L, Brearley C, Livermore DM, Carding SR. Cephalosporinases associated with outer membrane vesicles released by Bacteroides spp. protect gut pathogens and commensals against β-lactam antibiotics. J Antimicrob Chemother 2014; 70:701-9. [PMID: 25433011 PMCID: PMC4319488 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dku466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives To identify β-lactamase genes in gut commensal Bacteroides species and to assess the impact of these enzymes, when carried by outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), in protecting enteric pathogens and commensals. Methods A deletion mutant of the putative class A β-lactamase gene (locus tag BT_4507) found in the genome of the human commensal Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron was constructed and a phenotypic analysis performed. A phylogenetic tree was built from an alignment of nine Bacteroides cephalosporinase protein sequences, using the maximum likelihood method. The rate of cefotaxime degradation after incubation with OMVs produced by different Bacteroides species was quantified using a disc susceptibility test. The resistance of Salmonella Typhimurium and Bifidobacterium breve to cefotaxime in liquid culture in the presence of B. thetaiotaomicron OMVs was evaluated by measuring bacterial growth. Results The B. thetaiotaomicron BT_4507 gene encodes a β-lactamase related to the CepA cephalosporinase of Bacteroides fragilis. OMVs produced by B. thetaiotaomicron and several other Bacteroides species, except Bacteroides ovatus, carried surface-associated β-lactamases that could degrade cefotaxime. β-Lactamase-harbouring OMVs from B. thetaiotaomicron protected Salmonella Typhimurium and B. breve from an otherwise lethal dose of cefotaxime. Conclusions The production of membrane vesicles carrying surface-associated β-lactamases by Bacteroides species, which constitute a major part of the human colonic microbiota, may protect commensal bacteria and enteric pathogens, such as Salmonella Typhimurium, against β-lactam antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Régis Stentz
- Gut Health and Food Safety Programme, Institute of Food Research, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
| | - Nikki Horn
- Gut Health and Food Safety Programme, Institute of Food Research, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
| | - Kathryn Cross
- Analytical Sciences Unit, Institute of Food Research, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
| | - Louise Salt
- Analytical Sciences Unit, Institute of Food Research, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
| | - Charles Brearley
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - David M Livermore
- Norwich Medical School, The University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Simon R Carding
- Gut Health and Food Safety Programme, Institute of Food Research, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK Norwich Medical School, The University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
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14
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Stentz R, Osborne S, Horn N, Li AWH, Hautefort I, Bongaerts R, Rouyer M, Bailey P, Shears SB, Hemmings AM, Brearley CA, Carding SR. A bacterial homolog of a eukaryotic inositol phosphate signaling enzyme mediates cross-kingdom dialog in the mammalian gut. Cell Rep 2014; 6:646-56. [PMID: 24529702 PMCID: PMC3969271 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2014.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2013] [Revised: 12/13/2013] [Accepted: 01/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Dietary InsP6 can modulate eukaryotic cell proliferation and has complex nutritive consequences, but its metabolism in the mammalian gastrointestinal tract is poorly understood. Therefore, we performed phylogenetic analyses of the gastrointestinal microbiome in order to search for candidate InsP6 phosphatases. We determined that prominent gut bacteria express homologs of the mammalian InsP6 phosphatase (MINPP) and characterized the enzyme from Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (BtMinpp). We show that BtMinpp has exceptionally high catalytic activity, which we rationalize on the basis of mutagenesis studies and by determining its crystal structure at 1.9 Å resolution. We demonstrate that BtMinpp is packaged inside outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) protecting the enzyme from degradation by gastrointestinal proteases. Moreover, we uncover an example of cross-kingdom cell-to-cell signaling, showing that the BtMinpp-OMVs interact with intestinal epithelial cells to promote intracellular Ca2+ signaling. Our characterization of BtMinpp offers several directions for understanding how the microbiome serves human gastrointestinal physiology. Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (Bt) secretes a cell-signaling InsP6 phosphatase MINPP BtMinpp is exceptionally active and rationalized from its crystal structure BtMinpp is secreted in outermembrane vesicles BtMinpp/OMVs promote Ca2+ signaling in intestinal epithelial cells
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Affiliation(s)
- Régis Stentz
- Gut Health and Food Safety Programme, Institute of Food Research, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
| | - Samantha Osborne
- Gut Health and Food Safety Programme, Institute of Food Research, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
| | - Nikki Horn
- Gut Health and Food Safety Programme, Institute of Food Research, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
| | - Arthur W H Li
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Isabelle Hautefort
- Gut Health and Food Safety Programme, Institute of Food Research, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
| | - Roy Bongaerts
- Gut Health and Food Safety Programme, Institute of Food Research, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
| | - Marine Rouyer
- Gut Health and Food Safety Programme, Institute of Food Research, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
| | - Paul Bailey
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Stephen B Shears
- Laboratory of Signal Transduction, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Andrew M Hemmings
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK; School of Chemistry, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Charles A Brearley
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK.
| | - Simon R Carding
- Gut Health and Food Safety Programme, Institute of Food Research, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK; Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK.
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15
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Stentz R, Wegmann U, Parker M, Bongaerts R, Lesaint L, Gasson M, Shearman C. CsiA is a bacterial cell wall synthesis inhibitor contributing to DNA translocation through the cell envelope. Mol Microbiol 2010; 72:779-94. [PMID: 19400771 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2009.06683.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Conjugation is a widely spread mechanism allowing bacteria to adapt and evolve by acquiring foreign DNA. The chromosome of Lactococcus lactis MG 1363 contains a 60 kb conjugative element called the sex factor capable of high-frequency DNA transfer. Yet, little is known about the proteins involved in this process. Comparative genomics revealed a close relationship between the sex factor and elements found in Gram-positive pathogenic cocci. Among the conserved gene products, CsiA is a large protein that contains a highly conserved domain (HCD) and a C-terminal cysteine, histidine-dependent amidohydrolases/peptidases (CHAP) domain in its C-terminal moiety. Here, we show that CsiA is required for DNA transfer. Surprisingly, increased expression of CsiA affects cell viability and the cells become susceptible to lysis. Point mutagenesis of HCD reveals that this domain is responsible for the observed phenotypes. Growth studies and electron microscope observations suggest that CsiA is acting as a cell wall synthesis inhibitor. In vitro experiments reveal the capacity of CsiA to bind d-Ala-d-Ala analogues and to prevent the action of penicillin binding proteins. Our results strongly suggest that CsiA sequesters the peptidoglycan precursor and prevents the final stage of cell wall biosynthesis to enable the localized assembly of the DNA transfer machinery through the cell wall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Régis Stentz
- Commensals and Microflora (G2), Institute of Food Research, Norwich, UK.
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16
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Stentz R, Bongaerts RJ, Gunning AP, Gasson M, Shearman C. Controlled release of protein from viable Lactococcus lactis cells. Appl Environ Microbiol 2010; 76:3026-31. [PMID: 20228099 PMCID: PMC2863454 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00021-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2010] [Accepted: 03/02/2010] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Overexpression of the lactococcal CsiA protein affects the cell wall integrity of growing cells and leads to leakage of intracellular material. This property was optimized and exploited for the targeted release of biologically active compounds into the extracellular environment, thereby providing a new delivery system for bacterial proteins and peptides. The effects of different levels of CsiA expression on the leakage of endogenous lactate dehydrogenase and nucleic acids were measured and related to the impact of CsiA expression on Lactococcus lactis cell viability and growth. A leakage phenotype was obtained from cells expressing both recombinant and nonrecombinant forms of CsiA. As proof of principle, we demonstrated that CsiA promotes the efficient release of the heterologous Listeria bacteriophage endolysin LM4 in its active form. Under optimized conditions, native and heterologous active-molecule release is possible without affecting cell viability. The ability of CsiA to release intracellular material by controlled lysis without the requirement for an external lytic agent provides a technology for the control of both the extent of lysis and its timing. Taken together, these results demonstrate the potential of this novel approach for applications including product recovery in industrial fermentations, food processing, and medical therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Régis Stentz
- Integrated Biology of the Gastrointestinal Tract, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom.
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17
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Stentz R, Gasson M, Shearman C. The Tra domain of the lactococcal CluA surface protein is a unique domain that contributes to sex factor DNA transfer. J Bacteriol 2006; 188:2106-14. [PMID: 16513740 PMCID: PMC1428136 DOI: 10.1128/jb.188.6.2106-2114.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2005] [Accepted: 12/21/2005] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
CluA is a cell surface-presented protein that causes cell aggregation and is essential for a high-efficiency conjugation process in Lactococcus lactis. We know from previous work that in addition to promoting cell-to-cell contact, CluA is involved in sex factor DNA transfer. To define the CluA domains involved in aggregation and in transfer, we first performed random mutagenesis of the cluA gene using a modified mini-Tn7 element which generated five amino acid insertions located throughout the encoded protein. Thirty independent cluA insertion mutants expressing modified CluA proteins at the cell surface were isolated and characterized further. The level of aggregation of each mutant was determined. The cell binding capacity of CluA was affected strongly when the protein had a mutation in its N-terminal region, which defined an aggregation domain extending from amino acid 153 to amino acid 483. Of the cluA mutants that still exhibited aggregation, eight showed an attenuated ability to conjugate, and six mutations were located in a 300-amino-acid C-terminal region of the protein defining a transfer domain (Tra). This result was confirmed by a phenotypic analysis of an additional five mutants obtained using site-directed mutagenesis in which charged amino acids of the Tra domain were replaced by alanine residues. Two distinct functional domains of the CluA protein were defined in this work; the first domain is involved in cell binding specificity, and the Tra domain is probably involved in the formation of the DNA transport machinery. This is the first report of a protein involved in conjugation that actively contributes to DNA transfer and mediates contact between donor and recipient strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Régis Stentz
- Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UA, United Kingdom.
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18
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Stentz R, Jury K, Eaton T, Parker M, Narbad A, Gasson M, Shearman C. Controlled expression of CluA in Lactococcus lactis and its role in conjugation. Microbiology (Reading) 2004; 150:2503-2512. [PMID: 15289547 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.27149-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
CluA is a 136 kDa surface-bound protein encoded by the chromosomally located sex factor of Lactococcus lactis MG1363 and is associated with cell aggregation linked to high-frequency transfer of the sex factor. To further investigate the involvement of CluA in these phenomena, the cluA gene was cloned on a plasmid, downstream from the lactococcal nisA promoter. In a sex-factor-negative MG1363 derivative, nisin-controlled CluA expression resulted in aggregation, despite the absence of the other genes of the sex factor. Therefore, CluA is the only sex factor component responsible for aggregation. The direct involvement of CluA in the establishment of cell-to-cell contact for aggregate formation was observed by electron microscopy using immunogold-labelled CluA antibodies. Inactivation of cluA in an MG1363 background led to a dramatic decrease in sex factor conjugation frequency compared to the parental strain. Increasing levels of CluA expressed in trans in the cluA-inactivated donor strain facilitated a gradual restoration of conjugation frequency, reaching that of the parental strain. In conclusion, CluA is essential for efficient sex factor transfer in conjugation of L. lactis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Régis Stentz
- Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
| | - Karen Jury
- Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
| | - Tracy Eaton
- Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
| | - Mary Parker
- Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
| | - Arjan Narbad
- Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
| | - Mike Gasson
- Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
| | - Claire Shearman
- Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
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Suess B, Fink B, Berens C, Stentz R, Hillen W. A theophylline responsive riboswitch based on helix slipping controls gene expression in vivo. Nucleic Acids Res 2004; 32:1610-4. [PMID: 15004248 PMCID: PMC390306 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkh321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 195] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Riboswitches are newly discovered regulatory elements which control a wide set of basic metabolic pathways. They consist solely of RNA, sense their ligand in a preformed binding pocket and perform a conformational switch in response to ligand binding resulting in altered gene expression. We have utilized the enormous potential of RNA for molecular sensing and conformational changes to develop novel molecular switches with predetermined structural transitions in response to the binding of a small molecule. To validate these in vivo, we exploit the distance-dependent inhibitory potential of secondary structure elements placed close to the bacterial ribosome binding site. We created a translational control element by combining the theophylline aptamer with a helical communication module for which a ligand-dependent one-nucleotide slipping mechanism had been proposed. This structural element was inserted at a position just interfering with translation in the non ligand-bound form. Addition of the ligand then shifts the inhibitory element to a distance which permits efficient translation. We present here a novel regulatory mechanism in the first rationally designed, in vivo active RNA switch. Its use of a slippage mechanism to control gene expression makes it different from natural riboswitches which are based on sequestration or antitermination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrix Suess
- Lehrstuhl für Mikrobiologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Staudtstrasse 5, 91058 Erlangen, Germany.
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Dudez AM, Chaillou S, Hissler L, Stentz R, Champomier-Vergès MC, Alpert CA, Zagorec M. Physical and genetic map of the Lactobacillus sakei 23K chromosome. Microbiology (Reading) 2002; 148:421-431. [PMID: 11832506 DOI: 10.1099/00221287-148-2-421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The Lactobacillus sakei 23K chromosome was analysed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis after digestion with the restriction enzymes AscI, NotI and SfiI. The chromosome size was estimated to be 1845+/-80 kb. The use of I-CeuI, specific for rrn genes encoding 23S rRNAs, showed that seven rrn loci were present, on 40% of the chromosome. The seven rrn clusters were mapped and their orientation was determined, allowing the position of the replication origin to be estimated. Partial I-CeuI digestions were used to construct a backbone and the different restriction fragments obtained with AscI, NotI and SfiI were assembled to a physical map by Southern hybridization. Eleven L. sakei gene clusters previously identified were mapped, as well as 25 new loci located randomly on the chromosome and 11 regions flanking the rrn gene clusters. A total of 47 clusters were thus mapped on L. sakei chromosome. The new loci were sequenced, allowing the identification of 73 complete or incomplete coding sequences. Among these 73 new genes of L. sakei, the function of 36 could be deduced from their similarity to known genes described in databases. However, 10 genes had no homologues, 10 encoded proteins similar to proteins of unknown function and 17 were similar to hypothetical proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Marie Dudez
- Unité Flore Lactique et Environnement Carné, INRA, Domaine de Vilvert, F-78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France1
| | - Stéphane Chaillou
- Unité Flore Lactique et Environnement Carné, INRA, Domaine de Vilvert, F-78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France1
| | - Lionel Hissler
- Unité Flore Lactique et Environnement Carné, INRA, Domaine de Vilvert, F-78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France1
| | - Régis Stentz
- Unité Flore Lactique et Environnement Carné, INRA, Domaine de Vilvert, F-78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France1
| | | | - Carl-Alfred Alpert
- Unité Flore Lactique et Environnement Carné, INRA, Domaine de Vilvert, F-78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France1
| | - Monique Zagorec
- Unité Flore Lactique et Environnement Carné, INRA, Domaine de Vilvert, F-78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France1
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Stentz R, Loizel C, Malleret C, Zagorec M. Development of genetic tools for Lactobacillus sakei: disruption of the beta-galactosidase gene and use of lacZ as a reporter gene To study regulation of the putative copper ATPase, AtkB. Appl Environ Microbiol 2000; 66:4272-8. [PMID: 11010870 PMCID: PMC92296 DOI: 10.1128/aem.66.10.4272-4278.2000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2000] [Accepted: 07/10/2000] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Downstream from the ptsHI operon of Lactobacillus sakei, the genes atkY and atkB, organized in an operon, were observed. The two putative proteins, AtkB and AtkY, show sequence similarity to the Enterococcus hirae copper P-type ATPase, responsible for copper efflux, and its negative regulator. Characterization of AtkB as a copper P-type ATPase could not be demonstrated since an atkB mutant did not show any phenotype. Thus, another strategy was followed in order to investigate the transcriptional regulation of the atkYB locus, leading to the development of new genetic tools for L. sakei. A plasmid was constructed, the use of which allowed gene replacement at the lacLM locus in L. sakei by two successive crossovers. A strain deleted of the lacLM operon encoding the beta-galactosidase of L. sakei was constructed by this method, and the Escherichia coli lacZ gene could then be used as a reporter gene to investigate the regulation of atkYB. Results show that the atkYB operon is induced by small concentrations of CuSO(4) (30 to 40 microM) but not when CuSO(4) is omitted or added at higher concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Stentz
- Laboratoire de Recherches sur la Viande, INRA-CRJ, F-78350 Jouy en Josas, France
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Stentz R, Zagorec M. Ribose utilization in Lactobacillus sakei: analysis of the regulation of the rbs operon and putative involvement of a new transporter. J Mol Microbiol Biotechnol 1999; 1:165-73. [PMID: 10941799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
A 7-kb DNA fragment of Lactobacillus sakei, containing the rbsD, rbsK and rbsR genes was sequenced. The genes responsible for ribose utilization are organized differently from what was previously described for model organisms such as Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. No gene encoding RbsA, RbsB and RbsC, the subunits of the ribose ABC-transporter, were present in the rbs gene cluster. Instead, we found an open reading frame coding for RbsU, a protein similar to GltA, the glucose transporter of Staphylococcus xylosus. The disruption of rbsK, encoding the ribokinase, impaired growth on ribose. The disruption of rbsR, encoding the repressor, had no effect on the ability to grow on ribose, but led to overexpression of a large transcript corresponding to rbsU, rbsD and rbsK, suggesting that RbsU might be involved in ribose utilization. Ribose uptake and phosphorylation assays on the wild type strain and various mutants showed that, in ptsI mutants, both ribose uptake and phosphorylation are increased. These increased activities can explain the faster growth rate on ribose that was observed in ptsI mutants. The phosphotransferase system is thus involved in the negative regulation of ribose utilization. This regulation might not act at the transcriptional level since the overexpression of the rbs genes in the rbsR mutant did not lead to the same phenotype. A gene sharing high similarity scores with ackA genes, encoding the acetate kinase, was found upstream from the rbs gene cluster. The unusual location of this gene is maybe not fortuitous since acetate kinase is involved in ribose catabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Stentz
- Laboratoire de Recherches sur la Viande, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Jouy en Josas, France
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Abstract
The ptsH and ptsI genes of Lactobacillus sake, encoding the general enzymes of the phosphoenolpyruvate: carbohydrate phosphotransferase system (PTS), were cloned and sequenced. HPr (88 amino acids), encoded by ptsH, and enzyme I (574 amino acids), encoded by ptsI, are homologous to the corresponding known enzymes of other bacteria. Nucleotide sequence and mRNA analysis showed that the two genes are cotranscribed in a large transcript encoding both HPr and enzyme I. The transcription of ptsHI was shown to be independent of the carbon source. Four ptsI mutants were constructed by single-crossover recombination. For all mutants, growth on PTS carbohydrates was abolished. Surprisingly, the growth rates of mutants on ribose and arabinose, two carbohydrates which are not transported by the PTS, were accelerated. This unexpected phenotype suggests that the PTS negatively controls ribose and arabinose utilization in L. sake by a mechanism different from the regulation involving HPr described for other gram-positive bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Stentz
- Laboratoire de Recherches sur la Viande, INRA, Jouy-en-Josas, France
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