Abstract
Interest in preventive or therapeutic strategies targeting gut microbiota is increasing. Such strategies may involve the direct replenishment of the gut microbiota with single strains or strain mixtures, or the manipulation of strain abundance through dietary intervention, including lactic acid bacteria. A few candidate species associated with health benefits have been identified, including Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. Given its growth requirements, modulation of this bacterium has not been extensively studied. In this investigation, we explored the capacity of cell-free supernatants of different Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Lactococcus, and Bifidobacterium strains to stimulate the growth of F. prausnitzii A2-165. Modulation by four strains with the greatest capacity to stimulate growth or delay lysis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis CNCM I-1631, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris CNCM I-3558, Lactobacillus paracasei CNCM I-3689, and Streptococcus thermophilus CNCM I-3862, was further characterized by transcriptomics. The response of F. prausnitzii to cell-free supernatants from these four strains revealed several shared characteristics, in particular, upregulation of carbohydrate metabolism and cell wall-related genes and downregulation of replication and mobilome genes. Overall, this study suggests differential responses of F. prausnitzii to metabolites produced by different strains, providing protection against cell death, with an increase in peptidoglycan levels for cell wall formation, and reduced cell mobilome activity.
Highlights
Faecalibacterium prausnitzi (F. prausnitzii) is a Gram-negative bacterium that is prevalent and abundant in healthy subjects [1]
We investigated the response of F. prausnitzii A2-165 (DSM 17677) to cell-free supernatants from selected lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria in vitro
We have explored the metabolic response of F. prausnitzii to supernatants of a few lactic acid bacteria
Summary
Faecalibacterium prausnitzi (F. prausnitzii) is a Gram-negative bacterium that is prevalent and abundant in healthy subjects [1]. It produces butyrate, as a major fermentation end-product, which acts as an energy source for colonocytes. A 15 kDa candidate protein (microbial anti-inflammatory molecule, MAM) was identified and shown to alleviate chemically-induced colitis in mice [9]. These studies support the notion that F. prausnitzii contributes to immune homeostasis in the intestine via its anti-inflammatory activities [10] and suggest that it could be considered a biomarker of healthy ecosystems [11]. A recent study reported co-abundance between F. prausnitzii and multiple species in IBD including negative relationship with Haemophilus parainfluenzae [12]
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