New research from scientists at UC Davis Health provides clues for how friendlybacteria in the gut may help eradicatebacteria likeSalmonella by competing for needed resources.
A study published today in Cell Host and Microbe shows that the availability of needed nutrients alone doesn't define wherebacteria can survive and thrive in the gut.
Megan Liou, a PhD candidate in the Bäumler Lab at UC Davis, said that these insights provide a better understanding of the nutrition of the colon.
Humans are limited to using oxygen to generate energy. Microbes have evolved energy mechanisms that allow them to breath different compounds and elements. These mechanisms allow organisms to live in many different environments.
The researchers looked at a friendly strain of coli and a harmful strain of coli. Some strains of E. Coli can cause illness, but most are harmless.
nitrate is used for energy.
It's best known as a food Preservative, but it's also an important resource for gut microbes. The nitrate is absorbed in the small gut. The nitrate is available in the gut. It increases during inflammation.
nitrate is used for energy in the gut. The researchers found that the body's immune cells send nitrate to repair wounded or infections.
The E. coli can compete with the Salmonella for its energy source by using nitrate generated by both gut cells and epithelial tissue.
Liou compared the different sources of nitrates to restaurants where the microbes can get the resources they need to grow.
The ability of E. coli Nissle to dine at restaurants and compete with the pathogen for resources was essential for the probiotic to confer protection againstSalmonella.
The immune cells were brought into the gut by the researchers when they wereinfecting mice. In order to find a niche in the lining of the intestines that was rich in immune cells,Salmon was able to use nitrates from the generated immune cells.
There are sensors that limit the amount ofSalmonella that can get into the gut.
Why the healthy gut tissue was not utilized by theSalmonella was one of the mysteries of the competition. The number of places it coulddine was limited because it only used nitrate produced by the immune-response tissue.
The answer was found in the sensors of the pathogen that allowed it to sniff out its surroundings and move to a more favorable environment. They steered the pathogen away from the inflammatory cells.
Even though the healthy epithelial tissue created nitrates, the Salmonella did not have a mechanism that would steer it towards it. The E. coli does not have the ability to compete against the pathogen in the favored environment.
The research identifies the properties of the probiotics that protect us from infections, according to the senior author of the study. The UC Davis School of Medicine's Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology has a professor named Bäumler who is the vice-chair of research.
More information: Megan J. Liou et al, Host cells subdivide nutrient niches into discrete biogeographical microhabitats for gut microbes, Cell Host & Microbe (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2022.04.012 Journal information: Cell Host & Microbe Citation: 'Friendly' gut bacteria may eliminate pathogens by competing for energy resources (2022, May 13) retrieved 13 May 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-05-friendly-gut-bacteria-pathogens-energy.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
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