Bacillus subtilis-mediated protection from Citrobacter rodentium-associated enteric disease requires espH and functional flagella. Journal Article

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Authors: Jones, S. E.; Knight, K. L.
Article Title: Bacillus subtilis-mediated protection from Citrobacter rodentium-associated enteric disease requires espH and functional flagella.
Abstract: Commensals limit disease caused by invading pathogens; however, the mechanisms and genes utilized by beneficial microbes to inhibit pathogenesis are poorly understood. The attaching and effacing mouse pathogen Citrobacter rodentium associates intimately with the intestinal epithelium, and infections result in acute colitis. C. rodentium is used to model the human pathogens enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli and enteropathogenic E. coli. To confirm that Bacillus subtilis, a spore-forming bacterium found in the gut of mammals, could reduce C. rodentium-associated disease, mice received wild-type B. subtilis spores and 24 h later were infected by oral gavage with pathogenic C. rodentium. Disease was assessed by determining the extent of colonic epithelial hyperplasia, goblet cell loss, diarrhea, and pathogen colonization. Mice that received wild-type B. subtilis prior to enteric infection were protected from disease even though C. rodentium colonization was not inhibited. In contrast, espH and hag mutants, defective in exopolysaccharides and flagellum production, respectively, did not protect mice from C. rodentium-associated disease. A motAB mutant also failed to protect mice from disease, suggesting that B. subtilis-mediated protection requires functional flagella. By expanding our current mechanistic knowledge of bacterial protection, we can better utilize beneficial microbes to prevent intestinal disease caused by pathogenic bacteria, ultimately reducing human disease. Our data demonstrate that wild-type B. subtilis reduced disease caused by C. rodentium infection through a mechanism that required espH and functional flagella.
Journal Title: Infection and immunity
Volume: 80
Issue: 2
ISSN: 1098-5522; 0019-9567
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved  
Journal Place: United States
Date Published: 2012
Start Page: 710
End Page: 719
Language: English
DOI/URL:

http://ovidsp.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS=Y=N=fulltext=medl=22144475
Notes: ID: 12119; Record Owner: From MEDLINE, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.; Status: MEDLINE; Publishing Model: Journal available in: Print-Electronic Citation processed from: Internet; NLM Journal Code: go7, 0246127; Other ID: Source: NLM. PMC3264298 [Available on 08/01/12]; CAS Registry/EC Number/Name of Substance: 0 (Bacterial Proteins).; Grant Number: NIAID 50260 (United States PHS HHS); Electronic Date of Publication: 20111205; Entry Date: 20120327