Project description:Analysis of differentiated Caco-2 intestinal epithelial cell line cocultured with probiotics L. acidophilus NCFM™, B. lactis 420, L. salivarius Ls-33 bacterial cells or treated with cell-free supernatant, and with E. coli O157:H7 cell-free supernatant. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are important genera suggested to be beneficial for human health and E. coli O157:H7 is a pathogen causing hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome. Results provide insight into the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of probiotics on intestinal epithelial cells and a comparison to pathogenic E. coli.
Project description:Diet-microbe interactions play a crucial role in infant development and modulation of the early-life microbiota. The genus Bifidobacterium dominates the breast-fed infant gut, with strains of B. longum subsp. longum (B. longum) and B. longum subsp. infantis (B. infantis) particularly prevalent within the early-life microbiota. Although, transition from milk to a more diversified diet later in infancy initiates a shift to a more complex microbiome, with concurrent reductions in Bifidobacterium abundance, specific strains of B. longum may persist in individual hosts for prolonged periods of time. Here, we sought to investigate the adaptation of B. longum to the changing infant diet during the early-life developmental window. Genomic characterisation of 75 strains isolated from nine either exclusively breast- or formula-fed infants in the first 18 months of their lives revealed subspecies- and strain-specific intra-individual genomic diversity with respect to glycosyl hydrolase families and enzymes, which corresponded to different dietary stages. Complementary phenotypic growth studies indicated strain-specific differences in human milk oligosaccharide and plant carbohydrate utilisation profiles between and within individual infants, while proteomic profiling identified proteins involved in metabolism of selected carbohydrates. Our results indicate a strong link between infant diet and B. longum subspecies/strain genomic and carbohydrate utilisation diversity, which aligns with a changing nutritional environment i.e. moving from breast milk to a solid food diet. These data provide additional insights into possible mechanisms responsible for the competitive advantage of this bifidobacterial species and their long-term persistence in a single host and may contribute to rational development of new dietary therapies for this important development window.
Project description:Although oral administration of Bifidobacterium longum (B. longum) relieves irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms in a clinical setting, the underlying mechanisms remain undetermined. Herein, we confirmed that B. longum ameliorated defecation habits and alleviated visceral hypersensitivity in water avoidance stress (WAS) rats. Further analysis revealed that B. longum enhanced mucosal repair, promoted the production of lysozyme, and ameliorated microbiota dysbiosis in WAS rats. These activities are all closely correlated with Paneth cell function. In vitro, we incubated primary cultured enteroids with B. longum and found that this bacterium promoted the proliferation of these organoids, which may be attributed to the up-regulated expression of the stem niche factors WNT3A and TGF-β which are serected by the Paneth cells. On the basis of our findings, we propose that B. longum relieves IBS by restoring the antimicrobial activity and stem niche maintenance functions of Paneth cells.
Project description:Abdominal and pelvic radiotherapy (RT) reduces the renewal capacity of the epithelium. Rectal biopsies obtained from patients receiving pelvic RT have revealed atrophy of surface epithelium, acute cryptitis, crypt abscesses, crypt distortion and atrophy, and stromal inflammation. Modifications in intestinal microbiota, such as an increase in the number of pathogens, may contribute to intestinal injury. The prebiotic effect of a carbohydrate is assessed by its capacity to stimulate the proliferation of healthy bacteria (Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus) rather than pathogenic bacteria (Clostridium, E. coli).
The hypothesis of the study is that a mixture of inulin and fructooligosaccharide could modulate Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium and reduce the intestinal injury in patients affected of gynaecological cancer and treated with abdominal radiotherapy.
Project description:Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis is a bacterial commensal that colonizes the breast-fed infant gut where it utilizes indigestible components delivered in human milk. Accordingly, human milk contains several non-protein nitrogenous molecules, including urea at high abundance. This project investigates the degree to which urea is utilized as a primary nitrogen source by Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis and incorporation of hydrolysis products into the expressed proteome.
Project description:The purpose of this project was to determine the whole transcriptome response of Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum SC596 to pooled and individual human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) relative to lactose