Project description:Growth of isogenic parent ('tdk strain'), 5xECF-sigma factor mutant and complemented mutant strain in the cecum of NMRI inbred mice fed a glycan-restricted, 'simple sugar' diet (35% each glucose and sucrose). Bacteria were collected from mouse distal gut 10 days after colonization.
Project description:The large-scale application of genomic and metagenomic sequencing technologies has yielded a number of insights about the metabolic potential of symbiotic human gut microbes. Bacteria that colonize the mucosal layer that overlies the gut epithelium have access to highly-sulfated polysaccharides (i.e., mucin oligosaccharides and glycosaminoglycans), which they could potentially forage as nutrient sources. To be active, sulfatases must undergo a critical post-translational modification catalyzed in anaerobic bacteria by the AdoMet enzyme anSME (anaerobic Sulfatase-Maturating Enzyme). In the present study, we have tested the role of this pathway in the prominent gut symbiont Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, which possesses more predicted sulfatases (28) than in the human genome and a single predicted anSME. In vitro studies revealed that deletion of its anSME (BT0238) results in loss of sulfatase activity and impaired ability to use sulfated polysaccharides as carbon sources. Co-colonization of germ-free animals with both isogenic strains, or invasion experiments involving the introduction of one then the other strain, established that anSME activity and the sulfatases that are activated via this pathway, are important fitness factors for B. thetaiotaomicron, especially when mice are fed a simple sugar diet that requires this saccharolytic bacterium to adaptively forage on host glycans as nutrients. Whole genome transcriptional profiling of wild-type and the anSME mutant in vivo revealed that loss of this enzyme alters expression of genes involved in mucin utilization and that this disrupted ability to access mucosal glycans likely underlies the observed dramatic colonization defect. Comparative genomic analysis reveals that 100% of 46 fully sequenced human gut Bacteroidetes contain homologs of BT0238 and genes encoding sulfatases, suggesting that this is an important and evolutionarily conserved feature. Three replicate samples from 4 different biological treatment groups: 1. Wild-type B. thetaiotaomicron from the cecum of gnotobiotic mice fed a simple-sugar diet; 2. chuR mutant B. thetaiotaomicron from the cecum of gnotobiotic mice fed a simple-sugar diet; 3. Wild-type B. thetaiotaomicron from the cecum of gnotobiotic mice fed a plant-rich diet; 4. chuR mutant B. thetaiotaomicron from the cecum of gnotobiotic mice fed a plant-rich diet.
Project description:The intestinal microbiota modulates host physiology and gene expression via mechanisms that are not fully understood. A recently discovered layer of gene expression regulation is N6-methyladenosine (m6A) and N6,2′ -O-dimethyladenosine (m6Am) modifications of mRNA. To unveil if these epitranscriptomic marks are affected by the gut microbiota, we performed methylated RNA-immunoprecipitation and sequencing (MeRIP-seq) to examine m6A-modifications in transcripts of mice displaying either a conventional, or a modified, or no gut microbiota and discovered that the microbiota has a strong influence on m6A- modifications in the cecum, and also, albeit to a lesser extent, in the liver, affecting pathways related to metabolism, inflammatory and antimicrobial responses . We furthermore analysed expression levels of several known writer and eraser enzymes and found the methyltransferase Mettl16 to be downregulated in absence of a microbiota. As a consequence, one of its targets, the S-adenosyl methionine synthase Mat2a was less expressed in mice without gut flora. We furthermore show that distinct commensal bacteria, Akkermansia muciniphila, Lactobacillus plantarum can affect specific m6A modifications. Together, we report here epitranscriptomic modifications as an additional level of interaction in the complex interplay between commensal bacteria and their host.
Project description:A more in-depth exploration of gut functional aspects may be interesting in order to provide hints for action (e.g. dietary strategies) to favor gut balance maintenance (Sinha et al., 2017), given the important role of the intestine in development of possible metabolic diseases. A careful survey on the differential gene expression may help to scouting new interesting functions and identify potential markers for testing various experimental factors. The transcriptomes of the jejunum and cecum mucosae of 19 broiler chickens were compared. At slaughter age (day 42), on 38 birds, selected with a homogeneous body weight, jejunum and cecum mucosae were collected by gently scraping after tissues rinsing in PSB to remove residues of digesta, and immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen and then stored at -80°C. From both tissues, total RNA was extracted using GeneJET RNA Purification Kit (Thermo Scientific)
Project description:Growth of isogenic parent ('tdk strain'), 5xECF-sigma factor mutant and complemented mutant strain in the cecum of NMRI inbred mice fed a glycan-restricted, 'simple sugar' diet (35% each glucose and sucrose). Bacteria were collected from mouse distal gut 10 days after colonization. Experiment performed in biological triplicate; for purposes of cross-comparison, profiles were referenced to an in vitro minimal medium glucose chemostat culture (800ml volume, mid-log phase). Reference samples are GSM301635, 301637 and 301639 and are part of series GSE11944.