Project description:Bbr_0838 from Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 encodes a 683 residue membrane protein, that contains a permease domain displaying similarity to transporters belonging to the major facilitator superfamily, as well as a CBS (cystathionine beta synthase) domain. The high level of similarity to bile-efflux pumps from other bifidobacteria, suggests a significant role for Bbr_0838 in bile tolerance of B. breve UCC2003. Bbr_0838 transcription was shown to be monocistronic and strongly induced upon exposure to bile. Further analysis delineated the transcriptional start site and the minimal region required for promoter activity and bile regulation. Insertional inactivation of Bbr_0838 in B. breve UCC2003 resulted in a strain that exhibited reduced survival upon cholate exposure as compared to the parent strain, a phenotype that was reversed when a functional Bbr_0838 gene was introduced into UCC2003::838800. Transcriptome analysis of UCC2003::838800 grown in the presence or absence of bile demonstrated that transcription of Bbr_0832, which is predicted to encode a macrolide-efflux transporter gene, was significantly increased in the presence of bile, representing a likely compensatory mechanism for bile removal in the absence of Bbr_0838. This study represents the first in depth analysis of a bile-inducible locus in bifidobacteria, identifying a key gene relevant for bifidobacterial bile tolerance. In order to investigate differences in global gene expression upon growth or exposure of B. breve UCC2003-delta0838 to cholic acid compared to normal growing cells, DNA microarray experiments were performed. Total RNA was isolated from B. breve UCC2003-delta0838 cultures under normal conditions and cultures grown on or exposed to cholic acid. All experiments were performed in duplo and targets where confirmed with QRT-PCR. In addition transcriptome analyse was performed of B. breve UCC2003 compared to that of B. breve UCC2003-delta0838 both exposed to 0.1 % cholic acid. This was performed as a single experiment and targets were confirmed by QRT-PCR
Project description:Bbr_0838 from Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 encodes a 683 residue membrane protein, that contains a permease domain displaying similarity to transporters belonging to the major facilitator superfamily, as well as a CBS (cystathionine beta synthase) domain. The high level of similarity to bile-efflux pumps from other bifidobacteria, suggests a significant role for Bbr_0838 in bile tolerance of B. breve UCC2003. Bbr_0838 transcription was shown to be monocistronic and strongly induced upon exposure to bile. Further analysis delineated the transcriptional start site and the minimal region required for promoter activity and bile regulation. Insertional inactivation of Bbr_0838 in B. breve UCC2003 resulted in a strain that exhibited reduced survival upon cholate exposure as compared to the parent strain, a phenotype that was reversed when a functional Bbr_0838 gene was introduced into UCC2003::838800. Transcriptome analysis of UCC2003::838800 grown in the presence or absence of bile demonstrated that transcription of Bbr_0832, which is predicted to encode a macrolide-efflux transporter gene, was significantly increased in the presence of bile, representing a likely compensatory mechanism for bile removal in the absence of Bbr_0838. This study represents the first in depth analysis of a bile-inducible locus in bifidobacteria, identifying a key gene relevant for bifidobacterial bile tolerance.
Project description:Bifidobacterium are considered to be beneficial for human health and are classified as probiotic bacterium. They must resist many environmental stress factors in order to survive in the gastrointestinal environment including; pH, oxygen availability, bile and nutrient starvation (eg: iron or carbon). This study investigates Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 global genome response to growth under ferrous and/or ferric iron limiting conditions. Revealing that growth under iron limitation effects many processes in the cell including carbon and nitrogen metabolism and induces/reduces the expression of numerous genes; including multiple iron uptake systems, DPS proteins (which are predicted to be involved in iron storage/DNA protection), Fe-S cluster associated proteins and a bile salt hydrolase (bshB). Insertional mutagenesis and survival assays were employed and demonstrated that iron starvation imposed on B. breve UCC2003 results in an increased resistance to bile stress due to in part the iron-inducible transcription of the bshB gene. Furthermore, this study links BSH activity in B. breve UCC2003 to its ability to survive the deleterious effects of bile salt and suggest that B. breve UCC2003 may be use iron as a signal to adapt to the constantly changing environment within the small intestine.
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.
Project description:Tolerance of gut commensals to bile salt exposure is an important feature for their survival in and colonization of the intestinal environment. A transcriptomic approach was employed to study the response of Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 to bile, allowing the identification of a number of bile-induced genes with a range of predicted functions. The potential role of a selection of these bile-inducible genes in bile protection was determined by heterologous expression in Lactococcus lactis with subsequent characterization of the recombinant strains. Genes coding for three transport systems belonging to the MFS superfamily, Bbr_0838, Bbr_0832 and Bbr_1756, and three ABC-type transporters, Bbr_0406-0407, Bbr_1804-1805 and Bbr_1826-1827, along with the dps gene Bbr_0016, were thus analyzed. L. lactis cells expressing selected transporters exhibited enhanced resistance and survival to bile. In addition, L. lactis cells expressing the Dps protein also demonstrated a higher resistance to bile. This work significantly improves our understanding as to how bifidobacteria respond to and survives bile exposure. In order to investigate differences in global gene expression upon growth or exposure of B. breve UCC2003 to cholic acid and ox-gall compared to normal growing cells, DNA microarray experiments were performed. Total RNA was isolated from B. breve UCC2003 cultures under normal conditions and cultures grown on or exposed to cholic acid and ox-gall. All experiments were performed as single experiments and targets where confirmed with QRT-PCR.
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.
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.
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.
Project description:Tolerance of gut commensals to bile salt exposure is an important feature for their survival in and colonization of the intestinal environment. A transcriptomic approach was employed to study the response of Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 to bile, allowing the identification of a number of bile-induced genes with a range of predicted functions. The potential role of a selection of these bile-inducible genes in bile protection was determined by heterologous expression in Lactococcus lactis with subsequent characterization of the recombinant strains. Genes coding for three transport systems belonging to the MFS superfamily, Bbr_0838, Bbr_0832 and Bbr_1756, and three ABC-type transporters, Bbr_0406-0407, Bbr_1804-1805 and Bbr_1826-1827, along with the dps gene Bbr_0016, were thus analyzed. L. lactis cells expressing selected transporters exhibited enhanced resistance and survival to bile. In addition, L. lactis cells expressing the Dps protein also demonstrated a higher resistance to bile. This work significantly improves our understanding as to how bifidobacteria respond to and survives bile exposure.
Project description:This work reports on the identification and molecular characterization of a two-component regulatory system (2CRS), encoded by serRK, which is believed to control the expression of the ser2003 locus in Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003. The ser2003 locus consists of two genes, Bbr_1319 (sagA) and Bbr_1320 (serU), which are predicted to encode a hypothetical membrane-associated protein and a serpin-like protein, respectively. The response regulator SerR was shown to bind to the promoter region of ser2003 and the probable recognition sequence of SerR was determined by a combinatorial approach of in vitro site-directed mutagenesis, coupled to transcriptional fusion and EMSA assays. The importance of the serRK 2CRS in the response of B. breve to protease-mediated induction was confirmed by generating B. breve-s-serR and B. breve-::serU insertion mutants, which exhibited altered ser2003 transcriptional induction patterns as compared to their parent strain UCC2003.