Project description:This work aimed to investigate the ability of two human-derived bifidobacterial strains, i.e. Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 and Bifidobacterium longum NCIMB 8809, to utilize various oligosaccharides (i.e., 4-galactosyl-kojibiose, lactulosucrose, lactosyl-oligofructosides, raffinosyl-oligofructosides and lactulose-derived galacto-oligosaccharides) synthesized by means of microbial glycoside hydrolases. With the exception of raffinosyl-oligofructosides, these biosynthetic oligosaccharides were shown to support growth of at least one of the two studied strains. Short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) analysis by HPLC corroborated the suitability of most of the studied novel oligosaccharides as growth substrates for the two bifidobacterial strains, showing that acetate is the main metabolic end product followed by lactic and formic acids. Transcriptomic and functional genomic approaches carried out for B. breve UCC2003 allowed the identification of key genes encoding glycoside hydrolases and protein transport systems involved in the metabolism of 4-galactosyl-kojibiose and lactulosucrose. In particular, the role of β-galactosidases in the hydrolysis of these particular trisaccharides was demonstrated, highlighting their importance in oligosaccharide metabolism by human bifidobacterial strains.
Project description:Bifidobacteria have been described as a key component of the human gut microbiota, and recently significant efforts have been made to investigate their genome contents and assess the genetic variability at inter- and intra-species level. In the current work we investigated genome diversity among representatives of bifidobacterial species, i.e., Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum. These analyses were performed with comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) experiments and they revealed the existence of a strictly conserved set of 685 gene families. Furthermore, CGH analyses showed that genetic regions of diversity included mobile elements and putative genomic life-style adaptation islands, such as loci that encode pili and capsular polysaccharides, and genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism. CGH analysis was performed with microarrays that were based on the genome sequences of Bifidobacteriapseudocatenulatum DSM20438 (ABXX00000000.2). A total of 39,249 probes of 35 bp in length were designed using OligoArray 2.1 software. Oligos were synthesized in triplicate on a 2 × 40-k CombiMatrix array (CombiMatrix, Mulkiteo, USA). Replicates were distributed on the chip at random, non-adjacent positions. A set of 74 negative control probes designed on phage and plant sequences was also included on the chip. Seventeen micrograms of purified genomic DNA was labeled with Cy5-ULS using the Kreatech ULS array CGH Labeling kit (Kreatech Diagnostics) according to the supplier’s instructions. Hybridization of labeled test DNA to these microarrays was performed according to CombiMatrix protocols.
Project description:Bifidobacteria have been described as a key component of the human gut microbiota, and recently significant efforts have been made to investigate their genome contents and assess the genetic variability at inter- and intra-species level. In the current work we investigated genome diversity among representatives of bifidobacterial species, i.e., Bifidobacterium adolescentis. These analyses were performed with comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) experiments and they revealed the existence of a strictly conserved set of 685 gene families. Furthermore, CGH analyses showed that genetic regions of diversity included mobile elements and putative genomic life-style adaptation islands, such as loci that encode pili and capsular polysaccharides, and genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism. CGH analysis was performed with microarrays that were based on the genome sequences of B. adolescentis ATCC15703 (NC_008618) . A total of 39,249 probes of 35 bp in length were designed using OligoArray 2.1 software. Oligos were synthesized in triplicate on a 2 × 40-k CombiMatrix array (CombiMatrix, Mulkiteo, USA). Replicates were distributed on the chip at random, non-adjacent positions. A set of 74 negative control probes designed on phage and plant sequences was also included on the chip. Seventeen micrograms of purified genomic DNA was labeled with Cy5-ULS using the Kreatech ULS array CGH Labeling kit (Kreatech Diagnostics) according to the supplier’s instructions. Hybridization of labeled test DNA to these microarrays was performed according to CombiMatrix protocols.
Project description:The recognition specificity and associated affinity of the RNA polymerase sigma subunit towards its cognate promoter sequence is one of the elements contributing to the modulation of gene expression in bacteria. In the present study we identified and assessed vegetative promoters of the bifidobacterial prototype Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 employing a combination of tiling array analysis and RNA sequencing. By combining and comparing the outputs of these two distinct technologies we were able to identify a number of transcriptional units, including their initiation and termination signals, which correspond to promoters and terminators, respectively. Canonical -10 (TATAAT) and -35 (TTGACA) sequences were identified upstream of transcribed genes or operons, where deviations from this consensus correspond to transcription level variations. Using a Random Forest approach, we were able to define promoter characteristics that most substantially impact on transcription in B. breve. We observed that constitutively transcribed genes frequently encode house keeping functions that are part of the core and essential genome of this species. A comparative analysis between the tiling array-based and RNA-seq technologies allowed us to evaluate their performance and applicability for investigations on (regulation of) bifidobacterial gene expression.
Project description:Development of the human gut microbiota commences at birth with bifidobacteria being among the first colonizers of the sterile newborn gastrointestinal tract. To date the genetic basis of bifidobacterial colonization and persistence remains poorly understood. Transcriptomic analysis of the 2,422,684 bp genome of Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003, a strain isolated from a nursling stool, during colonization of a mouse model revealed the differential expression of a type IVb or so-called Tad pilus-encoding cluster. Mutational analysis coupled with colonization experiments demonstrated that the UCC2003 tad gene cluster is essential for colonization. Immunogold transmission electron microscopy confirmed the presence of the Tad pili at the cell poles of B. breve UCC2003. Conservation of the Tad pilus-encoding locus among sequenced bifidobacterial genomes supports the notion of a ubiquitous and novel host colonization and persistence mechanism for bifidobacteria.
Project description:Bifidobacteria have been described as a key component of the human gut microbiota, and recently significant efforts have been made to investigate their genome contents and assess the genetic variability at inter- and intra-species level. In the current work we investigated genome diversity among representatives of bifidobacterial species, i.e., Bifidobacterium adolescentis. These analyses were performed with comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) experiments and they revealed the existence of a strictly conserved set of 685 gene families. Furthermore, CGH analyses showed that genetic regions of diversity included mobile elements and putative genomic life-style adaptation islands, such as loci that encode pili and capsular polysaccharides, and genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism. CGH analysis was performed with microarrays that were based on the genome sequences of B. adolescentis ATCC15703 (NC_008618) . A total of 39,249 probes of 35 bp in length were designed using OligoArray 2.1 software. Oligos were synthesized in triplicate on a 2 M-CM-^W 40-k CombiMatrix array (CombiMatrix, Mulkiteo, USA). Replicates were distributed on the chip at random, non-adjacent positions. A set of 74 negative control probes designed on phage and plant sequences was also included on the chip. Seventeen micrograms of purified genomic DNA was labeled with Cy5-ULS using the Kreatech ULS array CGH Labeling kit (Kreatech Diagnostics) according to the supplierM-bM-^@M-^Ys instructions. Hybridization of labeled test DNA to these microarrays was performed according to CombiMatrix protocols. We analysed seven strains belong to B. adolescentis species. Replicates were distributed on the chip at random, non-adjacent positions.
Project description:Bifidobacteria have been described as a key component of the human gut microbiota, and recently significant efforts have been made to investigate their genome contents and assess the genetic variability at inter- and intra-species level. In the current work we investigated genome diversity among representatives of bifidobacterial species, i.e., Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum. These analyses were performed with comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) experiments and they revealed the existence of a strictly conserved set of 685 gene families. Furthermore, CGH analyses showed that genetic regions of diversity included mobile elements and putative genomic life-style adaptation islands, such as loci that encode pili and capsular polysaccharides, and genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism. CGH analysis was performed with microarrays that were based on the genome sequences of Bifidobacteriapseudocatenulatum DSM20438 (ABXX00000000.2). A total of 39,249 probes of 35 bp in length were designed using OligoArray 2.1 software. Oligos were synthesized in triplicate on a 2 M-CM-^W 40-k CombiMatrix array (CombiMatrix, Mulkiteo, USA). Replicates were distributed on the chip at random, non-adjacent positions. A set of 74 negative control probes designed on phage and plant sequences was also included on the chip. Seventeen micrograms of purified genomic DNA was labeled with Cy5-ULS using the Kreatech ULS array CGH Labeling kit (Kreatech Diagnostics) according to the supplierM-bM-^@M-^Ys instructions. Hybridization of labeled test DNA to these microarrays was performed according to CombiMatrix protocols. We analysed ten strains belong to Bifidobacteriapseudocatenulatum and Bifidobacteriacatenulatum species. Replicates were distributed on the chip at random, non-adjacent positions.
Project description:B. kashiwanohense PV20-2 and B. pseudolongum PV8-2 are strains isolated from breast fed iron deficient Kenyan infants, selected for their high iron sequestration mechanisms and their genome was completely sequenced. Based on their high iron sequestration features we hypothesized that B. kashiwanohense PV20-2 and B. pseudolongum PV8-2, possess iron related genes and excrete iron binding proteins in the culture media under iron limited conditions. Thus, the complete genomes of B. kashiwanohense PV20-2 and B. pseudolongum PV8-2 were compared to other bifidobacterial genomes to identify genes potentially involved in iron metabolism and the coding sequences from the genome were used as a scaffold to identify the extracellular proteome of both strains grown under low iron conditions using a gel-based shotgun proteomic approach.