Dataset Information

Bacteroides fragilis Prevents Clostridium difficile Infection in a Mouse Model by Restoring Gut Barrier and Microbiome Regulation.

ABSTRACT: Clostridium difficile is currently the leading cause of nosocomial infection. Antibiotics remain the first-line therapy for C. difficile-associated diseases (CDAD), despite the risks of resistance promotion and further gut microbiota perturbation. Notably, the abundance of Bacteroides fragilis was reported to be significantly decreased in CDAD patients. This study aimed to clarify the prophylactic effects of B. fragilis strain ZY-312 in a mouse model of C. difficile infection (CDI). The CDI mouse model was successfully created using C. difficile strain VPI 10463 spores, as confirmed by lethal diarrhea (12.5% survival rate), serious gut barrier disruption, and microbiota disruption. CDI model mice prophylactically treated with B. fragilis exhibited significantly higher survival rates (100% in low dosage group, 87.5% in high dosage group) and improved clinical manifestations. Histopathological analysis of colon and cecum tissue samples revealed an intact gut barrier with strong ZO-1 and Muc-2 expression. The bacterial diversity and relative abundance of gut microbiota were significantly improved. Interestingly, the relative abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila was positively correlated with B. fragilis treatment. In vitro experiments showed that B. fragilis inhibited C. difficile adherence, and attenuated the decrease in CDI-induced transepithelial electrical resistance, ZO-1 and MUC-2 loss, and apoptosis, suggesting that B. fragilis protected against CDI possibly by resisting pathogen colonization and improving gut barrier integrity and functions. In summary, B. fragilis exerted protective effects on a CDI mouse model by modulating gut microbiota and alleviating barrier destruction, thereby relieving epithelial stress and pathogenic colitis triggered by C. difficile. This study provides an alternative preventative measure for CDI and lays the foundations for further investigations of the relationships among opportunistic pathogens, commensal microbiota, and the gut barrier.

SUBMITTER: Deng H

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6308121 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Bacteroides fragilis Prevents Clostridium difficile Infection in a Mouse Model by Restoring Gut Barrier and Microbiome Regulation.

Deng Huimin H Yang Siqi S Zhang Yucheng Y Qian Kai K Zhang Zhaohui Z Liu Yangyang Y Wang Ye Y Bai Yang Y Fan Hongying H Zhao Xinmei X Zhi Fachao F

Frontiers in microbiology 20181221

Clostridium difficile is currently the leading cause of nosocomial infection. Antibiotics remain the first-line therapy for C. difficile-associated diseases (CDAD), despite the risks of resistance promotion and further gut microbiota perturbation. Notably, the abundance of Bacteroides fragilis was reported to be significantly decreased in CDAD patients. This study aimed to clarify the prophylactic effects of B. fragilis strain ZY-312 in a mouse model of C. difficil ...[more]

PMID: 30619112

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Project description:Background: While CRISPR-Cas systems have been identified in bacteria from a wide variety of ecological niches, there are no studies to describe CRISPR-Cas elements in Bacteroides species, the most prevalent anaerobic bacteria in the lower intestinal tract. Microbes of the genus Bacteroides make up ~25% of the total gut microbiome. Bacteroides fragilis comprises only 2% of the total Bacteroides in the gut, yet causes of >70% of Bacteroides infections. The factors causing it to transition from benign resident of the gut microbiome to virulent pathogen are not well understood, but a combination of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of virulence genes and differential transcription of endogenous genes are clearly involved. The CRISPR-Cas system is a multi-functional system described in prokaryotes that may be involved in control both of HGT and of gene regulation. Results: Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) elements in all strains of B. fragilis (n = 109) with publically available genomes were identified. Three different CRISPR-Cas types, corresponding most closely to Type IB, Type IIIB, and Type IIC, were identified. Thirty-five strains had two CRISPR-Cas types, and three strains included all three CRISPR-Cas types in their respective genomes. The cas1 gene in the Type IIIB system encoded a reverse-transcriptase/Cas1 fusion protein rarely found in prokaryotes. We identified a short CRISPR (3 DR) with no associated cas genes present in most of the isolates; these CRISPRs were found immediately upstream of a hipA/hipB operon and we speculate that this element may be involved in regulation of this operon related to formation of persister cells during antimicrobial exposure. Also, blood isolates of B. fragilis did not have Type IIC CRISPR-Cas systems and had atypical Type IIIB CRISPR-Cas systems that were lacking adjacent cas genes. Conclusions: This is the first systematic report of CRISPR-Cas systems in a wide range of B. fragilis strains from a variety of sources. There are four apparent CRISPR-Cas systems in B. fragilis-three systems have adjacent cas genes. Understanding CRISPR/Cas function in B. fragilis will elucidate their role in gene expression, DNA repair and ability to survive exposure to antibiotics. Also, based on their unique CRISPR-Cas arrays, their phylogenetic clustering and their virulence potential, we are proposing that blood isolates of B. fragilis be viewed a separate subgroup.

Dataset Information

Bacteroides fragilis Prevents Clostridium difficile Infection in a Mouse Model by Restoring Gut Barrier and Microbiome Regulation.

Publications

<i>Bacteroides fragilis</i> Prevents <i>Clostridium difficile</i> Infection in a Mouse Model by Restoring Gut Barrier and Microbiome Regulation.

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