Abstract
Beneficial microbes prevent and attenuate a variety of inflammatory processes. In most cases, however, the bacterial molecules that mediate these protective effects are not known. An exception is exopolysaccharides (EPSs), heterogeneous carbohydrate moieties secreted by bacteria, which can be part of the biofilm matrix. We will discuss the known structural features of several EPSs isolated from beneficial microbes, some of which modulate innate and adaptive immunity and protect from diseases such as colitis and experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. EPSs from Bacteroides fragilis, Bacillis subtilis, Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens, and Bifidobacter breve can alter the function of several immune cells, including T cells, macrophages, B cells, and dendritic cells, and we discuss the known in vivo effects of these bacterial EPSs on immune cells and their impact on host health.
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