A Novel Rhamnose-Rich Hetero-exopolysaccharide Isolated from Lactobacillus paracasei DG Activates THP-1 Human Monocytic Cells.

Lactobacillus paracasei DG is a bacterial strain with recognized probiotic properties and is used in commercial probiotic products. However, the mechanisms underlying its probiotic properties are mainly unknown. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the ability of strain DG to interact with the host is at least partly associated with its ability to synthesize a surface-associated exopolysaccharide (EPS). Comparative genomics revealed the presence of putative EPS gene clusters in the DG genome; accordingly, EPS was isolated from the surface of the bacterium. A sample of the pure EPS from strain DG (DG-EPS), upon nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and chemical analyses, was shown to be a novel branched hetero-EPS with a repeat unit composed of l-rhamnose, d-galactose, and N-acetyl-d-galactosamine in a ratio of 4:1:1. Subsequently, we demonstrated that DG-EPS displays immunostimulating properties by enhancing the gene expression of the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), and particularly that of the chemokines IL-8 and CCL20, in the human monocytic cell line THP-1. In contrast, the expression of the cyclooxygenase enzyme COX-2 was not affected. In conclusion, DG-EPS is a bacterial macromolecule with the ability to boost the immune system either as a secreted molecule released from the bacterium or as a capsular envelope on the bacterial cell wall. This study provides additional information about the mechanisms supporting the cross talk between L. paracasei DG and the host. IMPORTANCE: The consumption of food products and supplements called probiotics (i.e., containing live microbial cells) to potentially prevent or treat specific diseases is constantly gaining popularity. The lack of knowledge on the precise mechanisms supporting their potential health-promoting properties, however, greatly limits a more appropriate use of each single probiotic strain. In this context, we studied a well-known probiotic, Lactobacillus paracasei DG, in order to identify the constitutive molecules that can explain the documented health-promoting properties of this bacterium. We found a novel polysaccharide molecule, named DG-EPS, that is secreted by and covers the bacterium. We demonstrated that this molecule, which has a chemical structure never identified before, has immunostimulatory properties and therefore may contribute to the ability of the probiotic L. paracasei DG to interact with the immune system.

Pancreatic amylase is an environmental signal for regulation of biofilm formation and host interaction in Campylobacter jejuni.

Campylobacter jejuni is a commensal bacterium in the intestines of animals and birds and a major cause of food-borne gastroenteritis in humans worldwide. Here we show that exposure to pancreatic amylase leads to secretion of an α-dextran by C. jejuni and that a secreted protease, Cj0511, is required. Exposure of C. jejuni to pancreatic amylase promotes biofilm formation in vitro, increases interaction with human epithelial cell lines, increases virulence in the Galleria mellonella infection model, and promotes colonization of the chicken ileum. We also show that exposure to pancreatic amylase protects C. jejuni from stress conditions in vitro, suggesting that the induced α-dextran may be important during transmission between hosts. This is the first evidence that pancreatic amylase functions as an interkingdom signal in an enteric microorganism.

Structural characterisation of two medium molecular mass exopolysaccharides produced by the bacterium Lactobacillus fermentum Lf2.

Under optimized conditions, the lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus fermentum Lf2 secretes up to 2 gL-1 of a mixture of polysaccharides into the fermentation medium when grown on sucrose. Earlier studies had shown that the mixture is biologically active and work was undertaken to characterise the polysaccharides. Preparative size exclusion chromatography was used to separate a high molecular mass ß-glucan (weight average mass of 1.23 × 106 gmol-1) from two medium molecular mass polysaccharides (weight average mass of 8.8 × 104 gmol-1). Under optimized growth conditions, the medium molecular mass polysaccharides accounted for more than 75% of the mixture by weight. Monomer, linkage analysis and NMR spectroscopy of the medium molecular mass polysaccharides, and material isolated after their Smith degradation, was used to identify the structure of the component polysaccharides. The mixture contains two novel polysaccharides. The first has a main chain of ß-1,6-linked galactofuranoses which is non-stoichiometrically 2-O-glucosylated. The degree of substitution at the 2-position, with α-D-Glcp, depends on the fermentation conditions; under optimized conditions greater than 80% 2-O-α-D-glucosylation was observed. The second polysaccharide is a heteroglycan with four monosaccharides in the repeat unit: residual signals in the NMR suggest that the sample also contains trace amounts (<3%) of cell wall polysaccharides.

Isolation and characterization of a novel exopolysaccharide secreted by Lactobacillus mucosae VG1.

A novel strain of Lactobacillus mucosae was isolated from a faecal sample of an individual who had adhered to a strict vegetarian diet for nine years. The strain displayed a ropy character when grown on plates and generated a relatively small amount (62 mg/L) of an exopolysaccharide (EPS) when grown in broth culture. The EPS eluted from a size exclusion chromatography column as a single band with a weight average molecular mass of 1.51 × 104 g/mol. Monomer analysis and sugar absolute configuration analysis confirmed that the EPS was a D-galactan. Using linkage analysis in combination with 1D and 2D-NMR spectroscopy, with spectra being recorded for both the native EPS and for the products generated by Smith degradation of the EPS, the following structure was determined for the repeat unit of the polysaccharide: This is a novel D-galactan and represents the first structure for an EPS produced by a strain of Lactobacillus mucosae to be reported.

Isolation and characterization of a high molecular mass ß-glucan from Lactobacillus fermentum Lf2 and evaluation of its immunomodulatory activity.

When grown in a semi-defined medium, L. fermentum Lf2 synthesizes significant quantities (∼2 g/L) of two exopolysaccharides (EPS). The two EPS were separated by preparative size exclusion chromatography to give a high molecular mass ß-glucan (1.23 × 106 Da) and a medium molecular mass heteroglycan (8.8 × 104 Da). The structure of the high molecular mass ß-glucan was determined using a combination of NMR spectroscopy, monomer and linkage analysis. The EPS has the following structure: The immunomodulatory activity of the high molecular mass EPS was studied in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Exposure of PBMC to an aqueous solution of the EPS for 24 h led to increased cell proliferation, changes in expression of the cytokines CD14 and TLR2, and to an increase in production of TNF-α compared to controls. In contrast, when cells that had been treated with EPS for 24 h and from which the EPS had been removed, were subsequently exposed to the bacterial antigen LPS very low levels of TNF-α production were observed. This result indicates that the EPS imparts immunotolerance in PBMC. An ability to modulate the release of the proinflammatory mediators, such as TNF-α, is an important goal in the development of therapies for the treatment of diseases, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, associated with excessive release of inflammatory mediators.