A genetic system for Akkermansia muciniphila reveals a role for mucin foraging in gut colonization and host sterol biosynthesis gene expression.

ABSTRACT: Akkermansia muciniphila, a mucophilic member of the gut microbiota, protects its host against metabolic disorders. Because it is genetically intractable, the mechanisms underlying mucin metabolism, gut colonization and its impact on host physiology are not well understood. Here we developed and applied transposon mutagenesis to identify genes important for intestinal colonization and for the use of mucin. An analysis of transposon mutants indicated that de novo biosynthesis of amino acids was required for A. muciniphila growth on mucin medium and that many glycoside hydrolases are redundant. We observed that mucin degradation products accumulate in internal compartments within bacteria in a process that requires genes encoding pili and a periplasmic protein complex, which we term mucin uti

SUBMITTER: Davey LE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11741908 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature