Cited by 2,387Probiotics and Fermented FoodsEscherichia coli research studiesGut microbiota and health

Bifidobacteria can protect from enteropathogenic infection through production of acetate

Fukuda, Shinji, Toh, Hidehiro, Hase, Koji, Oshima, Kenshiro, Nakanishi, Yumiko, Yoshimura, Kazutoshi, Tobe, Toru, Clarke, Julie M. +8 more·2011·Nature

Abstract

The human gut is colonized with a wide variety of microorganisms, including species, such as those belonging to the bacterial genus Bifidobacterium, that have beneficial effects on human physiology and pathology. Among the most distinctive benefits of bifidobacteria are modulation of host defence responses and protection against infectious diseases. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects have barely been elucidated. To investigate these mechanisms, we used mice associated with certain bifidobacterial strains and a simplified model of lethal infection with enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7, together with an integrated 'omics' approach. Here we show that genes encoding an ATP-binding-cassette-type carbohydrate transporter present in certain bifidobacteria contribute to protecting mice against death induced by E. coli O157:H7. We found that this effect can be attributed, at least in part, to increased production of acetate and that translocation of the E. coli O157:H7 Shiga toxin from the gut lumen to the blood was inhibited. We propose that acetate produced by protective bifidobacteria improves intestinal defence mediated by epithelial cells and thereby protects the host against lethal infection.

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Crossref · 10.1038/nature09646

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  • Short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate and acetate improve intestinal barrier function.

    “Additional support for the role of enteric bacteria in maintaining normal barrier function is provided by data that SCFA (e.g., butyrate and acetate) improve intestinal barrier function (64, 84).”
  • Numerous in vitro studies have demonstrated that bifidobacteria can inhibit pathogens through the production of organic acids, antibacterial peptides, quorum-sensing inhibitors, or immune stimulation among other mechanisms.

    “Numerous in vitro studies have demonstrated that bifidobacteria can inhibit pathogens through the production of organic acids (38), antibacterial peptides (39), quorum-sensing inhibitors (40, 41), or immune stimulation (42) among other mechanisms, providing molecular clues of their capacity to prevent certain infections.”

    From Bifidobacteria and Their Health-Promoting Effects (2017) · cites this paper as [38]

  • Bifidobacteria have been linked to strengthening gut mucosal protection through activities against pathogens.

    “these bacteria have been linked to fortification of the gut mucosal protection through activities against pathogens12, 13.”
  • SCFAs support the integrity of the intestinal mucosa in vitro and in vivo.

    “which have been shown in vitro and in vivo to support the integrity of the intestinal mucosa in a variety of ways (Fukuda et al., 2011; Gaudier et al., 2004; Macia et al., 2015; Willemsen et al., 2003; Wrzosek et al., 2013).”
  • Bifidobacterium longum protects mice from enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157 infection through short-chain fatty acids that prevent intestinal epithelial cell apoptosis and inflammation, preserve gut epithelium integrity, reduce Stx2 toxin spread into blood, and improve survival.

    “Bifidobacterium longum has been shown to protect mice from enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157 infection through the production of SCFAs, that prevent IEC apoptosis and inflammation, thus preserving gut epithelium integrity, and reducing the spread of Stx2 toxin into the bloodstream, ultimately improving host survival [52].”

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Authors
Fukuda, S., Toh, H., Hase, K., Oshima, K., Nakanishi, Y., Yoshimura, K., Tobe, T., Clarke, J. M., Topping, D. L., Suzuki, T., Taylor, T. D., Itoh, K., Kikuchi, J., Morita, H., Hattori, M., & Ohno, H.
Affiliations
  • RIKEN (JP)
  • RIKEN Advanced Science Institute (JP)
  • The University of Tokyo (JP)
  • The University of Osaka (JP)
  • Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (AU)
  • Gifu University (JP)
  • Azabu University (JP)
  • Chiba University (JP)
Corresponding author
  • Hattori, Masahira
  • Ohno, Hiroshi
Venue
Nature
Published
2011-01
Volume
469
Issue
7331
Pages
543-547
ISSN
  • 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4687
OpenAlex
W2045119680
Cited by
2,387
References
48
Citations by year
2026: 138 · 2025: 166 · 2024: 199 · 2023: 161 · 2022: 208 · 2021: 244 · 2020: 199 · 2019: 155 · 2018: 162 · 2017: 155 · 2016: 130 · 2015: 129 · 2014: 121 · 2013: 90 · 2012: 93
FWCI
158.47
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Nature (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Funders
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (22689017)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Probiotics and Fermented Foods
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Endocrinology › Escherichia coli research studies
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
Keywords
Bifidobacterium longum, acetate, Escherichia coli O157:H7, probiotics, ABC transporters, carbohydrate transport, gut microbiota
MeSH terms
Acetates, Animals, Bifidobacterium, Chlorocebus aethiops, Escherichia coli Infections, Molecular Sequence Data, Vero Cells, Genome, Bacterial, Escherichia coli O157, Gene Expression Profiling, Mice

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