Project description:The influence of the microbiota on viral transmission and replication is well appreciated. However, its impact on retroviral pathogenesis outside of transmission/replication control remained unknown. Using Murine Leukemia Virus (MuLV), we found that some commensal bacteria promoted the development of leukemia induced by this retrovirus. The promotion of leukemia development by commensals was due to suppression of the adaptive immune response through upregulation of several negative regulators of immunity. These negative regulators included Serpinb9b and Rnf128, which are associated with a poor prognosis of some spontaneous human cancers. Upregulation of Serpinb9b was mediated by sensing of bacteria by NOD1/NOD2/RIPK2 pathway. This work describes a novel mechanism by which the microbiota enhances tumorigenesis within gut-distant organs and points at potential new targets for cancer therapy.
Project description:M cells are the main site of bacterial translocation in the intestine. We used the in vitro M cell model to study the effect of the commensal bacteria; Lactobacillus salivarius, Eschericha coli and Bacteroides fragilis, on M cell gene expression. Bacterial translocation across the gut mucosa has traditionally been based on the detection of commensals in the mesenteric lymph node. Differential rates of commensal translocation have been reported in vivo, however fewer studies have examined translocation of commensals at the level of the gut epithelial M cell. In this study we employed an in vitro M cell model to quantify translocation of various bacteria. C2BBe1 cells were differentiated into M cells and the gene expression profile and transport kinetics of different bacterial strains, namely Lactobacillus salivarius, Escherichia coli, and Bacteroides fragilis, was assessed. For comparison with M cell uptake, the THP-1 monocytic cell line was used to analyze bacterial internalization and resulting cytokine production. The commensal bacterial strains were translocated across M cells with different efficiencies; E. coli and B. fragilis translocated with equal efficiency while L. salivarius translocated with less efficiency. In contrast, L. salivarius was internalized by THP-1 cells to a higher degree than B. fragilis or E. coli and was associated with a different cytokine profile. Microarray analysis showed both common and differential gene expression amongst the bacteria and control polystyrene beads. In the presence of bacteria, but not beads, upregulated genes were mainly involved in transcription regulation and dephosphorylation, e.g. EGR1, JUN; whereas proinflammatory and stress response genes were primarily upregulated by E. coli and B. fragilis, but not L. salivarius nor beads, e.g. IL8, TNFAIP3. These results demonstrate that M cells have the ability to discriminate between different commensal bacteria and modify subsequent immune responses. C2bbe1 cells were converted to M cells (C2M) following 21 days of culture on Transwells in the presence of Raji B cells. C2M cells were co-cultured alone, Lactobacillus salivarius, Eschericha coli, Bacteroides fragilis and control beads. Total RNA was extracted and processed for Affymetrix array hybridisation
Project description:M cells are the main site of bacterial translocation in the intestine. We used the in vitro M cell model to study the effect of the commensal bacteria; Lactobacillus salivarius, Eschericha coli and Bacteroides fragilis, on M cell gene expression. Bacterial translocation across the gut mucosa has traditionally been based on the detection of commensals in the mesenteric lymph node. Differential rates of commensal translocation have been reported in vivo, however fewer studies have examined translocation of commensals at the level of the gut epithelial M cell. In this study we employed an in vitro M cell model to quantify translocation of various bacteria. C2BBe1 cells were differentiated into M cells and the gene expression profile and transport kinetics of different bacterial strains, namely Lactobacillus salivarius, Escherichia coli, and Bacteroides fragilis, was assessed. For comparison with M cell uptake, the THP-1 monocytic cell line was used to analyze bacterial internalization and resulting cytokine production. The commensal bacterial strains were translocated across M cells with different efficiencies; E. coli and B. fragilis translocated with equal efficiency while L. salivarius translocated with less efficiency. In contrast, L. salivarius was internalized by THP-1 cells to a higher degree than B. fragilis or E. coli and was associated with a different cytokine profile. Microarray analysis showed both common and differential gene expression amongst the bacteria and control polystyrene beads. In the presence of bacteria, but not beads, upregulated genes were mainly involved in transcription regulation and dephosphorylation, e.g. EGR1, JUN; whereas proinflammatory and stress response genes were primarily upregulated by E. coli and B. fragilis, but not L. salivarius nor beads, e.g. IL8, TNFAIP3. These results demonstrate that M cells have the ability to discriminate between different commensal bacteria and modify subsequent immune responses.
Project description:To investigate the cooperative function of dermal fibroblast and mast cell in inducing mast cell tolerance to commensals We then performed gene expression profiling analysis using data obtained from RNA-seq of mast cells, and mast cells conditioned by dermal fibroblasts before and after treatments with commensal bacteria supernatants.
Project description:To investigate the cooperative function of dermal fibroblast and mast cell in inducing mast cell tolerance to commensals We then performed gene expression profiling analysis using data obtained from RNA-seq of mast cells, and mast cells conditioned by dermal fibroblasts before and after treatments with commensal bacteria supernatants.
Project description:Type I interferons (IFNs) exert a broad range of biological effects important in coordinating immune responses, which have classically been studied in the context of pathogen clearance. Yet, whether immunomodulatory bacteria operate through IFN pathways to support intestinal immune tolerance remains elusive. Here, we reveal that the commensal bacterium, Bacteroides fragilis, utilizes canonical antiviral pathways to modulate intestinal dendritic cells (DCs) and regulatory T cell (Treg) responses. Specifically, IFN signaling is required for commensal-induced tolerance, as IFNAR1-deficient DCs display blunted IL-10 and IL-27 production in response to B. fragilis. We further establish that IFN-driven IL-27 in DCs is critical in shaping the ensuing Foxp3+ Treg via IL27Ra signaling. Consistent with these findings, single cell RNA sequencing of gut Tregs demonstrated that colonization with B. fragilis promotes a distinct IFN gene signature in Foxp3+ Tregs during intestinal inflammation. Altogether, our findings demonstrate a critical role of commensal-mediated immune tolerance via tonic type I IFN signaling.
Project description:The establishment of bacterial infections at epithelial surfaces is determined by the balance of virulence attributes of the pathogen with the activity of innate host defenses. Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) are key responders in many bacterial infections, but the mechanisms by which pathogens subvert these early responses to establish infection are largely undefined. Here, we model these early interactions between human PMN and the primary cause of urinary tract infections, namely uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). Our objective was to define virulence phenotypes of uropathogens (as compared with laboratory and commensal E. coli strains) that permit evasion of PMN activity. We found that UPEC strains resist phagocytic killing and dampen the production of antimicrobial reactive oxygen species by PMNs. Analysis of the global transcriptional responses of PMN to E. coli strains revealed that UPEC exposure downregulates the expression of PMN genes involved in proinflammatory signaling and PMN chemotaxis, adhesion, and migration. Consistent with these data, UPEC attenuated transepithelial neutrophil recruitment in an in vitro model of acute infection. We propose that these UPEC strategies are important in the establishment of epithelial infection, and that the findings are germane to a range of bacterial infections at epithelial surfaces. We used microarrays to detail the global program of gene expression in human neutrophils in response to a uropathogenic bacteria compared to a closely related non-pathogenic strain relative to control samples with no bacteria. Our goal was to elucidate a pathogen-specific response. We chose an early time point of 60 minutes to evaluate the accute response to infection. Human neutrophils were exposed to pathogenic or commensal Escherichia coli for RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays
Project description:We used the ileal loop model to assess the effects of enteric bacteria organisms on host gene expression in intestinal tissue independent of and following early SIV infection. SIV infection in the gut causes rapid and severe immune dysfunction and damage to the intestinal structure, this may alter the intimate interaction with lumenal organisms. This study was performed to determine whether early SIV infection, prior to the depletion of CD4+ T cells, can alter interaction of the host with pathogenic Salmonella serovar Typhimurium (ST) or commensal Lactobacillus plantarum (LP), and to further understand the earliest changes to the intestinal mucosa following SIV infection. We used microarray analysis to detail the global program of gene expression underlying changes in the ileum following early SIV infection, and if these changes in any way alter the host interaction/ response to pathogenic and commensal enteric bacteria.
Project description:Flagellins from commensal bacteria can be weak Toll-like receptor (TLR)5 agonists despite high affinity binding to TLR5, ligands we termed “silent flagellins”. To determine if silent flagellins are detectable in the human gut, endogenous flagellins produced by the microbiota were isolated from stool obtained from a healthy adult female donor. TLR5 was used as bait to enrich for silent flagellins and TLR5-bound flagellins were identified by searching peptides against a custom flagellin database built from metagenome sequences.