Antagonistic activities of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria against microbial pathogens

The gastrointestinal tract is a complex ecosystem that associates a resident microbiota and cells of various phenotypes lining the epithelial wall expressing complex metabolic activities. The resident microbiota in the digestive tract is a heterogeneous microbial ecosystem containing up to 1 x 10(14) colony-forming units (CFUs) of bacteria. The intestinal microbiota plays an important role in normal gut function and maintaining host health. The host is protected from attack by potentially harmful microbial microorganisms by the physical and chemical barriers created by the gastrointestinal epithelium. The cells lining the gastrointestinal epithelium and the resident microbiota are two partners that properly and/or synergistically function to promote an efficient host system of defence. The gastrointestinal cells that make up the epithelium, provide a physical barrier that protects the host against the unwanted intrusion of microorganisms into the gastrointestinal microbiota, and against the penetration of harmful microorganisms which usurp the cellular molecules and signalling pathways of the host to become pathogenic. One of the basic physiological functions of the resident microbiota is that it functions as a microbial barrier against microbial pathogens. The mechanisms by which the species of the microbiota exert this barrier effect remain largely to be determined. There is increasing evidence that lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, which inhabit the gastrointestinal microbiota, develop antimicrobial activities that participate in the host's gastrointestinal system of defence. The objective of this review is to analyze the in vitro and in vivo experimental and clinical studies in which the antimicrobial activities of selected lactobacilli and bifidobacteria strains have been documented.     

Similar bifidogenic effects of prebiotic-supplemented partially hydrolyzed infant formula and breastfeeding on infant gut microbiota

The aim of the study was to assess the quantitative and qualitative differences of the gut microbiota in infants. We evaluated gut microbiota at the age of 6 months in 32 infants who were either exclusively breast-fed, formula-fed, nursed by a formula supplemented with prebiotics (a mixture of fructo- and galacto-oligosaccharides) or breast-fed by mothers who had been given probiotics. The Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides, Clostridium and Lactobacillus/Enterococcus microbiota were assessed by the fluorescence in situ hybridization, and Bifidobacterium species were further characterized by PCR. Total number of bifidobacteria was lower among the formula-fed group than in other groups (P=0.044). Total amounts of the other bacteria were comparable between the groups. The specific Bifidobacterium microbiota composition of the breast-fed infants was achieved in infants receiving prebiotic supplemented formula. This would suggest that early gut Bifidobacterium microbiota can be modified by special diets up to the age of 6 months.     

双歧杆菌对母乳低聚糖利用的研究进展

母乳低聚糖(human milk oligosaccharides,HMOs)是一类存在于人乳中复杂的混合低聚糖,是母乳中的重要成分,在婴幼儿生长发育中起到重要作用。母乳低聚糖可作为影响肠道微生物群组成的益生元,可选择性地促进母乳喂养婴儿肠道双歧杆菌的生长。婴儿肠道内相关的双歧杆菌具有糖苷酶和转运蛋白等分子工具,使其能够代谢HMOs,且代谢过程具有菌株特异性。本文对2′-岩藻糖基乳糖、3′-岩藻糖基乳糖、3′-唾液酸乳糖、6′-唾液酸乳糖、乳糖-N-四糖、乳糖-N-新四糖等常见HMOs的结构和特点进行总结,并讨论不同双歧杆菌对不同HMOs的利用特点和机制,为开发针对不同双歧杆菌的特异性益生元提供相应的理论指导。     

How do bifidobacteria counteract environmental challenges? Mechanisms involved and physiological consequences

An effective response to stress is of paramount importance for probiotic bifidobacteria administered in foods, since it determines their performance as beneficial microorganisms. Firstly, bifidobacteria have to be resistant to the stress sources typical in manufacturing, including heating, exposure to low water activities, osmotic shock and presence of oxygen. Secondly, and once they are orally ingested, bifidobacteria have to overcome physiological barriers in order to arrive in the large intestine biologically active. These barriers are mainly the acid pH in the stomach and the presence of high bile salt concentrations in the small intestine. In addition, the large intestine is, in terms of microbial amounts, a densely populated environment in which there is an extreme variability in carbon source availability. For this reason, bifidobacteria harbours a wide molecular machinery allowing the degradation of a wide variety of otherwise non-digestible sugars. In this review, the molecular mechanisms allowing this bacterial group to favourably react to the presence of different stress sources are presented and discussed.     

Functional analysis of the pBC1 replicon from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bifidobacterium catenulatum</Emphasis> L48

To determine the minimal replicon of pBC1 (a 2.5-kb cryptic plasmid of Bifidobacterium catenulatum L48) and to check the functionality of its identified open reading frames (ORFs) and surrounding sequences, different segments of pBC1 were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and cloned into pBif, a replication probe vector for bifidobacteria. The largest fragment tested in this manner encompassed most of the pBC1 sequence, while the shortest just included the repB gene and its immediate upstream sequences. Derivatives were all shown to allow replication in bifidobacteria. Surprisingly, both the transformation frequency and segregational stability in the absence of antibiotic selection decreased with reducing plasmid length. The relative copy number of the constructs (ranging from around 3 to 23 copies per chromosome equivalent, as compared to 30 copies for the original pBC1) was shown to be strain dependent and to decrease with reducing plasmid length. These results suggest that, although not essential, the copG-like and orfX-like genes of pBC1 play important roles in pBC1 replication. Interruption of repB produced a construct incapable of replicating in bifidobacteria. The analysis of pBC1 will allow its use in the construction of general and specific cloning vectors.     

双歧杆菌缓解DSS诱导的溃疡性结肠炎作用机制的研究

目的通过RT—PCR检测IECs中TLR2与TLR4的表达,通过荧光定量PCR检测IECs中IL-1和TNF-α的表达,以对双歧杆菌预防与辅助治疗UC作用机制加以探讨。方法将36只Babl／c小鼠随即分为3组,即正常对照组（N）、DSS诱导组（D）、双歧杆菌喂养组（B）。N组不施加作用,D组生理盐水灌肠2周,并在第2周给以2％的DSS自由饮用;双歧杆菌组双歧杆菌灌肠2周,并在第2周再给以2％的DSS自由饮用。2周后处死小鼠做组织切片和分离IECs并提取IECs中的总RNA,用RT—PCR检测TLR2、TLR4的表达,用Real time RT—PCR检测IL-1和TNF-α表达。结果双歧杆菌组IECs表达TLR2远远高于单纯的DSS诱导组,结果具有统计学意义,而双歧杆菌组IECs表达TLR4、IL-1和TNF-α则远远低于单纯的DSS诱导组,结果具有统计学意义。结论双歧杆菌通过与诱导IECs中TLR2的表达而抑制其TLR4、IL-1和TNF一Ⅸ的表达,从而达到预防与辅助性治疗DSS诱导的UC作用。     

双歧杆菌对肠上皮细胞生长和白介素-8分泌功能的影响

目的探讨双歧杆菌对人肠上皮细胞株HT29生长及其IL-8分泌水平的影响。方法HT29细胞在96孔板上生长24h后分为正常细胞对照组、高剂量双歧杆菌共培养组（细菌终浓度为1×10^10CFU／m1）、低剂量双歧杆菌共培养组（细菌终浓度为1×10^6CFU／ml）、轮状病毒感染对照组,分别加入不同剂量双歧杆菌和感染轮状病毒共培养,继续培养24h,光镜下观察细胞生长状态,MTT比色法检测细胞活性情况,ELISA检测细胞培养上清中IL-8表达水平。结果光镜下观察到双歧杆菌与HT29细胞共培养后细胞形态无明显改变,共培养24h后MTT检测双歧杆菌对HT29细胞增殖和调亡无明显影响,但轮状病毒感染对照组细胞病变脱落,活细胞数量明显减少。共培养6h,其余3组细胞培养上清中IL-8分泌较正常细胞对照组增加（P〈0．05）,高剂量双歧杆菌组增加较低剂量双歧杆菌组差异有显著性（P〈0．05）,但两个剂量组均明显低于轮状病毒感染阳性对照组的IL-8分泌增加水平（P〈0．05）;感染后24h,细胞培养上清中IL-8分泌水平高于正常细胞对照组（P〈0．05）,但高、低剂量双歧杆菌组之间差异无显著性（P〉0．05）,两个剂量组IL-8分泌增加水平均明显低于轮状病毒感染阳性对照组（P〈0．01）。结论两歧双歧杆菌共培养不影响HT29细胞的生长,双歧杆菌能够促进HT29细胞分泌细胞因子IL-8,但明显低于致病微生物刺激引起的细胞因子分泌水平改变,这种促进作用无时间-剂量依赖关系,提示双歧杆菌与肠道内致病微生物对肠道免疫功能的影响不同,双歧杆菌促进肠上皮细胞分泌IL-8可能与其参与的肠道黏膜免疫系统发育成熟相关。     

Autoaggregation and surface hydrophobicity of bifidobacteria

Thirteen strains of four different Bifidobacterium spp. were observed for their autoaggregation ability and surface hydrophobicity, and correlation between these two traits was determined. Bifidobacteria were classified into high, medium and low autoaggregation strains according to autoaggregation ratio measured from changes in absorbance of media. High autoaggregation strains showed microscopic clustering of cells, whereas low and medium autoaggregation strains showed no such clustering. Autoaggregation ability decreased in high autoaggregation strains but increased in medium and low autoaggregation strains when the assay was performed at higher temperature (37°C compared with 25 and 10°C). Bacterial strains belonging to the high, medium or low autoaggregation group were correlated in terms of their surface hydrophobicity and evaluated based on changes in absorbance of the bacterial suspension before and after extraction with xylene. These results indicate that autoaggregation ability, together with surface hydrophobicity and microscopic image could be used for evaluating the adhesion ability of potential probiotic bifidobacterial strains. Moreover, a synergistic effect of pH and media may be involved in autoaggregation.     

DNA指纹图谱鉴别双歧杆菌的研究

采用RAPD技术选用10条引物对7种9株双歧杆菌基因组DNA进行PCR扩增,根据在优化条件下所得DNA指纹图谱分析了双歧杆菌菌株的遗传多样性,并构建了相似性指数矩阵和树状图.结果表明,不同序列的随机引物可扩增不同形式的RAPD图谱,但并非所有图谱都具有分类学意义,其中引物S256对双歧杆菌种及同种不同菌株均具有良好的区分能力,由该引物扩增的RAPD图谱计算出的相对性指数矩阵以及由此构建的聚类树状图均能正确地反映出双歧杆菌的系统发育关系,同时对RAPD图谱作为工业双歧杆菌分子标记的可能性进行了探讨.