Gut flora, Toll-like receptors and nuclear receptors: a tripartite communication that tunes innate immunity in large intestine.

Separating the large intestine from gut flora is a robust layer of epithelial cells. This barrier is armed with an array of recognizing receptors that collectively set the host innate response. Here, we use nuclear receptors (NRs) and Toll-like receptors (TLRs), suggested to act as second messengers in the communication between microorganisms and epithelial cells, as probes to assess the impact of gut flora on innate immunity in germ-free (GF) mice. Using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses, we show that 37/49 NRs are expressed in colonic cells of GF mice. Of these, 5 can be modulated by resident flora: LXRalpha, RORgamma and CAR show reduced expression and Nur77 and GCNF display elevated expression in conventionally raised mice compared with GF. Moreover, increased expression levels of TLR-2 and TLR-5 are observed in specific pathogen-free (SPF) mice compared with GF mice, and CAR expression is connected to the TLR-2 signalling pathway. Infections of GF or SPF mice with Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, show that GF intestinal epithelial cells fail to respond, except for CAR, which is downregulated. In contrast, SPF epithelial cells show a downregulation of all the NRs except CAR, which appears to be unaffected. Our findings indicate that gut flora contributes to the development of an intact barrier function.

Helicobacter pylori genome variability in a framework of familial transmission.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori infection is exceptionally prevalent and is considered to be acquired primarily early in life through person-to-person transmission within the family. H. pylori is a genetically diverse bacterial species, which may facilitate adaptation to new hosts and persistence for decades. The present study aimed to explore the genetic diversity of clonal isolates from a mother and her three children in order to shed light on H. pylori transmission and host adaptation. RESULTS: Two different H. pylori strains and strain variants were identified in the family members by PCR-based molecular typing and sequencing of five loci. Genome diversity was further assessed for 15 isolates by comparative microarray hybridizations. The microarray consisted of 1,745 oligonucleotides representing the genes of two previously sequenced H. pylori strains. The microarray analysis detected a limited mean number (+/- standard error) of divergent genes between clonal isolates from the same and different individuals (1 +/- 0.4, 0.1%, and 3 +/- 0.3, 0.2%, respectively). There was considerable variability between the two different strains in the family members (147 +/- 4, 8%) and for all isolates relative to the two sequenced reference strains (314 +/- 16, 18%). The diversity between different strains was associated with gene functional classes related to DNA metabolism and the cell envelope. CONCLUSION: The present data from clonal H. pylori isolates of family members do not support that transmission and host adaptation are associated with substantial sequence diversity in the bacterial genome. However, important phenotypic modifications may be determined by additional genetic mechanisms, such as phase-variation. Our findings can aid further exploration of H. pylori genetic diversity and adaptation.

Comparative analysis of the complete cag pathogenicity island sequence in four Helicobacter pylori isolates.

The cytotoxin-associated gene (cag) pathogenicity island (PAI) is important for the virulence of Helicobacter pylori. In this study, we have compared the complete nucleotide sequence of the cag PAI in four clinical isolates. These isolates were selected from patients matched for age and sex from the same geographical region. The patients suffered from either gastric cancer (Ca52 and Ca73) or duodenal ulcer (Du23:2 and Du52:2). All four strains induced an interleukin (IL)-8 response in AGS cells and translocated CagA into host cells where the protein was tyrosine phosphorylated, and thus harboured a functional type IV secretion system encoded by the cag PAI. The cagA gene contains a variable region close to its 3' end. Different compositions of this region has been proposed to exert various degrees of morphological changes in cultured gastric epithelial cells, and there are indications that the structure of the repetitive region is connected to the severity of disease. One of the studied strains (Du23:2) possessed five Western-type repeat regions while the other three strains harboured one Western-type repeat. Strain Du23:2 also contained a major rearrangement or large insertion/duplication in the intergenic region between HP0546 and HP0547 (cagA). Sequence similar to that of genes HP0510 and HP0509 was found in the 5' end of this region. The 3' end was similar to the corresponding region of strain ATCC 43504, including a mini IS605 element and a duplication of the 3' end of the cag PAI. Finally, a novel gene was identified in the cag PAI in three of the sequenced strains at the position of HP0521. This gene, HP0521B, is present in approximately half of Swedish H. pylori isolates.

Intestinal microbiota regulate xenobiotic metabolism in the liver.

BACKGROUND: The liver is the central organ for xenobiotic metabolism (XM) and is regulated by nuclear receptors such as CAR and PXR, which control the metabolism of drugs. Here we report that gut microbiota influences liver gene expression and alters xenobiotic metabolism in animals exposed to barbiturates. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: By comparing hepatic gene expression on microarrays from germfree (GF) and conventionally-raised mice (SPF), we identified a cluster of 112 differentially expressed target genes predominantly connected to xenobiotic metabolism and pathways inhibiting RXR function. These findings were functionally validated by exposing GF and SPF mice to pentobarbital which confirmed that xenobiotic metabolism in GF mice is significantly more efficient (shorter time of anesthesia) when compared to the SPF group. CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate that gut microbiota modulates hepatic gene expression and function by altering its xenobiotic response to drugs without direct contact with the liver.

Slow genetic divergence of Helicobacter pylori strains during long-term colonization.

The genetic variability of Helicobacter pylori is known to be high compared to that of many other bacterial species. H. pylori is adapted to the human stomach, where it persists for decades, and adaptation to each host results in every individual harboring a distinctive bacterial population. Although clonal variants may exist within such a population, all isolates are generally genetically related and thus derived from a common ancestor. We sought to determine the rate of genetic change of H. pylori over 9 years in two asymptomatic adult patients. Arbitrary primed PCR confirmed the relatedness of individual subclones within a patient. Furthermore, sequencing of 10 loci ( approximately 6,000 bp) in three subclones per time and patient revealed only two base pair changes among the subclones from patient I. All sequences were identical among the patient II subclones. However, PCR amplification of the highly divergent gene amiA revealed great variation in the size of the gene between the subclones within each patient. Thus, both patients harbored a single strain with clonal variants at both times. We also studied genetic changes in culture- and mouse-passaged strains, and under both conditions no genetic divergence was found. These results suggest that previous estimates of the rate of genetic change in H. pylori within an individual might be overestimates.

Cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of HP1352, a putative DNA methyltransferase in Helicobacter pylori.

The putative methyltransferase gene HP1352 from Helicobacter pylori strain 26695 was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. The 359-amino-acid gene product was purified and crystallized. The crystals belong to space group I2(1)2(1)2(1) and show diffraction to at least 2.5 A resolution. The unit-cell parameters are a = 69.6, b = 86.6, c = 140.0 A. A greater than 90% complete native data set has been collected and structure determination using the molecular-replacement method is ongoing.

The NudA protein in the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori is an ubiquitous and constitutively expressed dinucleoside polyphosphate hydrolase.

The gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori harbors one Nudix hydrolase, NudA, that belongs to the nucleoside polyphosphate hydrolase subgroup. In this work, the enzymatic activity of purified recombinant NudA protein was analyzed on a number of nucleoside polyphosphates. This predicted 18.6-kDa protein preferably hydrolyzes diadenosine tetraphosphate, Ap(4)A at a k(cat) of 0.15 s(-1) and a K(m) of 80 microm, resulting in an asymmetrical cleavage of the molecule into ATP and AMP. To study the biological role of this enzyme in H. pylori, an insertion mutant was constructed. There was a 2-7-fold decrease in survival of the mutant as compared with the wild type after hydrogen peroxide exposure but no difference in survival after heat shock or in spontaneous mutation frequency. Western blot analyses revealed that NudA is constitutively expressed in H. pylori at different growth stages and during stress, which would indicate that this protein has a housekeeping function. Given that H. pylori is a diverse species and that all the H. pylori strains tested in this study harbor the nudA gene and show protein expression, we consider NudA to be an important enzyme in this bacterium.