The TGF-β ligand DBL-1 is a key player in a multifaceted probiotic protection against MRSA in C. elegans.

ABSTRACT: Worldwide the increase in multi-resistant bacteria due to misuse of traditional antibiotics is a growing threat for our health. Finding alternatives to traditional antibiotics is thus timely. Probiotic bacteria have numerous beneficial effects and could offer safer alternatives to traditional antibiotics. Here, we use the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) to screen a library of different lactobacilli to identify potential probiotic bacteria and characterize their mechanisms of action. We show that pretreatment with the Lactobacillus spp. Lb21 increases lifespan of C. elegans and results in resistance towards pathogenic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Using genetic analysis, we find that Lb21-mediated MRSA resistance is dependent on the DBL-1 ligand of the TGF

SUBMITTER: Morch MGM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8139972 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature