Project description:Bifidobacteria constitute a specific group of commensal bacteria which inhabit the gastrointestinal tract of humans and other mammals. Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 has previously been shown to utilise several plant-derived carbohydrates that include cellodextrins, starch and galactan. In the current study, we investigate the ability of this strain to utilise the mucin- and human milk oligosaccharide (HMO)-derived carbohydrate, sialic acid. Using a combination of transcriptomic and functional genomic approaches, we identified a gene cluster dedicated to the uptake and metabolism of sialic acid. Furthermore, we demonstrate that B. breve UCC2003 can cross feed on sialic acid derived from the metabolism of 3’ sialyllactose, a HMO, by Bifidobacterium bifidum PRL2010.

2014-05-29 | GSE56291 | GEO

Cellodextrin utilization by Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003

Project description:The transcription of the cldEFGC gene cluster of Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 was shown to be induced upon growth on cellodextrins, implicating these genes in the metabolism of these sugars. Phenotypic analysis of a B. breve UCC2003::cldE insertion mutant confirmed that the cld gene cluster is exclusively required for cellodextrin utilization by this bacterium. HPAEC-PAD analysis of medium samples obtained during growth of B. breve UCC2003 on a mixture of cellodextrins revealed its ability to utilize cellobiose, cellotriose, cellotetraose and cellopentaose, with cellotriose representing the preferred substrate. The cldC gene of the cld operon of B. breve UCC2003 was shown to be the first described bifidobacterial β-glucosidase exhibiting hydrolytic activity towards various cellodextrins. In order to investigate differences in gene expression patterns of B. breve UCC2003 when grown on cellobiose or cellodextrins as compared to growth on glucose, DNA microarray experiments were performed. Total RNA was isolated from B. breve UCC2003 cultures grown on cellobiose, cellodextrins, or glucose (see Materials and Methods). The cultures were harvested at the time points that ensured that B. breve UCC2003 was metabolizing cellobiose or cellodextrins as opposed to the residual glucose present in the cellodextrin preparation. Analysis of the DNA microarray data was obtained from two independent biological replicates.

2010-08-11 | E-GEOD-17604 | biostudies-arrayexpress

Transcriptional response to protease treatments (kallikrein, papain and chymotrypsin) of Bifidobacterium breve 210B

Project description:Members of the serpin (serine protease inhibitor) superfamily have been identified in higher, multicellular eukaryotes, as well as in bacteria, although surveillance of available genome sequences indicates that bacterial serpin-encoding (ser) homologs are not widely distributed. In members of the genus Bifidobacterium this gene appears to be present in at least five, and perhaps up to nine, out of 30 species tested. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis using available bacterial and eukaryotic serpin sequences revealed that bifidobacteria specify serpins that form a separate clade. We characterized the ser210B locus of Bifidobacterium breve 210B, which consists of a number of genes, whose deduced protein products display significant similarity to proteins encoded by corresponding loci found in several other bifidobacteria. Northern hybridization, primer extension, micro array analysis, RT-PCR and Quantitative Real Time (qRT) - PCR analysis revealed that a 3.5 kb polycistronic mRNA, encompassing the ser210B operon with a single transcriptional start site, is strongly induced following treatment of B. breve 210B cultures with particular proteases. In contrast, transcription of the ser homolog of other bifidobacteria, such as Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis, Bifidobacterium dentium and B. longum subsp. longum, appears to be triggered by a different set of proteases Transcriptional response to protease treatments (kallikrein, papain and chymotrypsin) of Bifidobacterium breve 210B

2010-05-06 | E-GEOD-20626 | biostudies-arrayexpress

Cross-feeding by Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 during Bifidobacterium bifidum PRL2010 growth on a mucin-based medium.

Project description:Bifidobacteria constitute commensal bacteria that commonly inhabit the mammalian gastro intestinal tract. The gut commensal Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 was previously shown to utilise a variety of plant/diet-derived carbohydrates, including cellodextrin, starch and galactan. In the current study, we investigated the ability of this strain to utilize (parts of) a host-derived source of carbohydrate, namely the mucin glycoprotein. Here, we demonstrate that B. breve UCC2003 exhibits growth properties in a mucin-based medium, but only when in the presence of Bifidobacterium bifidum PRL2010, which is known to metabolize mucin. Based on HPAEC analysis, transcriptome data and insertion mutagenesis, it appears that B. breve UCC2003 sustains this improved survival in co-culture by cross-feeding on a combination of fucose, sialic acid and galactose-containing oligosaccharides.

2014-12-17 | GSE59013 | GEO

Pan-genome and methylome analysis reveals the diversity of restriction/modification systems in the gut commensal Bifidobacterium breve.

Project description:Bifidobacterium breve represents one of the most abundant (bifido)bacterial species in the gastro-intestinal tract of (breast-fed) infants, where their presence is believed to be beneficial. In the present study whole genome sequencing, employing PacBio’s Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT) sequencing platform, combined with comparative genome analysis allowed the most extensive genetic investigation of this taxon. Our findings demonstrate that Restriction/Modification (R/M) systems constitute a substantial part of the B. breve variome. Availing of the methylome data generated by SMRT sequencing, combined with targeted Illumina bisulfite sequencing (BiSeq) and comparative genome analysis, we were able to detect methylation recognition motifs and assign these to identified B. breve R/M systems, where in several cases such assignments were confirmed by restriction analysis. Furthermore, cloning of a selected methyltransferase-encoding gene validated the activity of the corresponding R/M system, and was shown to overcome the barrier they impose to genetic accessibility, thus allowing future genetic manipulation of members of this species.

2017-12-13 | GSE104927 | GEO

Bifidobacterium breve S27

Project description:Bifidobacterium breve S27 Genome sequencing

| PRJNA214956 | ENA