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Transcriptomics reveal strain-specific metabolic strategies for acid resistance and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) production in Levilactobacillus brevis.

ABSTRACT: Background: Of the many neurotransmitters in humans, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) shows potential for improving several mental health indications such as stress and anxiety. The microbiota-gut-brain axis is an important pathway for GABAergic effects, as microbially-secreted GABA within the gut can affect host mental functionhealth outcomes. Understanding the molecular characteristics of GABA production by microbes within the gut can offer insight to novel therapies for mental health. Results: Three strains of Levilactobacillus brevis with syntenous glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) operons were evaluated for overall growth, glutamate utilization, and GABA production in typical synthetic growth media supplemented with monosodium glutamate (MSG). Levilactobacillus brevis Lbr-6108 (Lbr-6108) and Levilactobacillus brevis Lbr-35 (Lbr-35) had similar growth profiles but differed significantly in GABA secretion and acid resistance. Lbr-6108 produced GABA early, within the growth phase, and produced significantly more GABA than Lbr-35 and the type strain Levilactobacillus brevis ATCC 14689 after the stationary phase. The global gene expression during GABA production was determined by RNA sequencing at several timepoints. The GAD operon, responsible for GABA production and secretion, activated in Lbr-6108 after only six hours of fermentation and continued throughout the stationary phase. Furthermore, Lbr-6108 activated many different acid resistance mechanisms concurrently, which contribute to acid tolerance and energy production. In contrast, Lbr-35, which has a genetically similar GAD operon, including two copies of the GAD gene, showed no upregulation of the GAD operon, even when cultured with MSG. Conclusions: This study is the first to evaluate whole transcriptome changes in L. brevis during GABA production over multiple timepoints. The concurrent expression of multiple acid-resistance mechanisms reveals niche-specific metabolic functionality between common human commensals and highlights the complex regulation of GABA metabolism in this important microbial species. Furthermore, the increased and rapid GABA production of Lbr-6108 highlights the strain’s potential as a therapeutic and the overall value of screening microbes for effector molecule output.

ORGANISM(S): Levilactobacillus brevis

PROVIDER: GSE181504 | GEO | 2021/08/07

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:The rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), a part of the medullary reticular formation, plays a major role in several physiological responses, including cardiovascular and sympathetic nervous system functions. Although aging causes disturbances in the responses of these physiological systems, RVLM involvement in these age-related changes is not clear. Previous work using high-throughput gene expression analysis of the RVLM in aged animals suggested that chemical neurotransmission-related genes might be downregulated with advancing age. Since the RVLM function involves a balance of inhibitory and excitatory inputs, which is largely mediated by gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and excitatory amino acid (EAA) neurotransmission, we hypothesized that aging is associated with altered excitatory and/or inhibitory neurotransmission-related gene expression in the RVLM. To test this hypothesis, we micropunched an RVLM-containing area from young (3–5 months), middle-aged (12–14 months), and aged (22–26 months) Fischer 344 male rats. RNA purified from these micropunches was analyzed using GABA and Glutamate RT2 Profiler PCR arrays (n= 8–10). In addition, the expression of selected genes was validated at the RNA level using TaqMan® based- qPCR and at the protein level using western blotting. All the genes that displayed significant differential expression (1.5-fold, p < .05, FDR < .05) were identified to be downregulated in the RVLM of aged and middle-aged rats compared to young rats. Among the downregulated genes, the percentage of glutamate neurotransmission-related genes was higher than GABA neurotransmission-related genes. Solute carrier family 1 member 6 (Slc1a6) gene showed the highest fold downregulation at the RNA level in the RVLM of aged compared to young rats, and its protein product, Excitatory amino acid transporter 4 (EAAT4), showed a downregulatory trend in the RVLM of aged and middle-aged rats. These results suggest that molecular constituents of both GABA and glutamate neurotransmission might be altered in the RVLM of aged and middle-aged rats, and the changes in glutamate neurotransmission might be more prominent. Investigating age-associated anatomical and functional changes in RVLM GABA and glutamate neurotransmission might provide a foundation for understanding the effects of aging on physiological function.

Project description:The presence of anti-microbial phenolic compounds, such as the model compound ferulic acid, in biomass hydrolysates poses significant challenges to the widespread use of biomass in conjunction with whole cell biocatalysis or fermentation. Biofuel toxicity must also be overcome to allow for efficient production of next generation biofuels such as butanol, isopropanol, and others for widespread usage. Currently, these inhibitory compounds must be removed through additional downstream processing or sufficiently diluted to create environments suitable for most industrially important microbial strains. This study explores the high ferulic acid and n-butanol tolerance in Lactobacillus brevis (L. brevis), a lactic acid bacteria often found in fermentation processes, by global transcriptional response analysis. The transcriptional profile of L. brevis under ferulic acid and butanol stress reveals that the presence of ferulic acid primarily triggers the expression of membrane proteins to counteract ferulic acid induced changes in membrane fluidity and ion leakage. In contrast to the ferulic acid stress response, butanol addition to growing cultures uniquely induced the entire fatty acid synthesis pathway in the midst of a generalized stress response. Overexpression of the rate-limiting acetyl-CoA carboxylase subunits (AccABCD) in E. coli to increase lipid synthesis had no effect on butanol tolerance, suggesting that additional engineering is necessary to produce sufficient levels of appropriate fatty acids to confer butanol tolerance. Several promising routes for understanding both phenolic acid and butanol tolerance have been identified based upon these findings. These insights may be used to guide further engineering of model industrial organisms to better tolerate both classes of inhibitors in processed biomass used for biofuel production. Cultures were grown to OD ~ 0.2 in MRS media (baffled flasks), T = 30 C, 100 rpm. Butanol was then added to the cultures. Samples were harvested 15, 75, and 135 min after butanol addition. Each time point has 3 biological replicates, and dye swaps were incorporated into the microarray experiments.

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Transcriptomics reveal strain-specific metabolic strategies for acid resistance and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) production in Levilactobacillus brevis.

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