Phosphatidylglycerol as biosynthetic precursor for the poly(glycerol phosphate) backbone of bifidobacterial lipoteichoic acid.

Phosphatidylglycerol functions as donor of the sn-glycerol 1-phosphate units in the synthesis in vitro of the 1,2-phosphodiester-linked glycerol phosphate backbone of the lipoteichoic acids of Bifidobacterium bifidum subsp. pennsylvanicum. The incorporation was catalysed by a membrane-bound enzyme system. After addition of chloroform/methanol the product formed coprecipitated with protein. The material was phenol-extractable and was co-eluted with purified lipoteichoic acid on Sepharose 6B. The reaction was stimulated by Triton X-100, UDP-glucose and UDP-galactose, but Mg2+ ions had no effect. The apparent values for Km and Vmax. of the phosphatidylglycerol incorporation were 1.4 mM and 3.1 nmol/h per mg of membrane protein, respectively. Labelled UDP-glucose and UDP-galactose were not incorporated into the lipoteichoic acid fraction by the particulate membrane preparation.     

'Lipoteichoic acid' of Bifidobacterium bifidum subspecies pennsylvanicum DSM 20239. A lipoglycan with monoglycerophosphate side chains

The lipid macroamphiphile of Bifidobacterium bifidum subsp. pennsylvanicum DSM 20239 was extracted with phenol/water and purified by treatment with nucleases and hydrophobic interaction chromatography. From analytical data, the results of Smith degradation, hydrolysis with HF and methylation studies, the following structure is proposed: (formula; see text) where n and m are approximately 7-10 and 8-15, respectively. The monoglycerophosphate residues have the sn-glycero-1-phosphate configuration; 20-50% of them are substituted with L-alanine in ester linkage. The lipid anchor is most likely a galactosyldiacylglycerol, part of which carries a third fatty acid. This is the first example among gram-positive bacteria of a glycerophosphate-containing lipid macroamphiphile that carries the glycerophosphate residues as monomeric side chains on a lipoglycan. Further, it contains L-alanine in place of the D-alanine found in lipoteichoic acids.     

Structure of the lipoteichoic acids from Bifidobacterium bifidum spp. pennsylvanicum

The lipoteichoic acids from Bifidobacterium bifidum spp. pennsylvanicum were extracted from cytoplasmic membranes or from disintegrated bacteria with aqueous phenol and purified by gel chromatography. The lipoteichoic acid preparations contained phosphate, glycerol, galactose, glucose and fatty acids in a molar ratio of 1.0:1.0:1.3:1.2:0.3. Chemical analysis and NMR studies of the native preparations and of products from various acid and alkaline hydrolysis procedures gave evidence for the structure of two lipoteichoic acids. The lipid anchor appeared to be 3-O-(6'-(sn-glycero-1-phosphoryl)diacyl-beta-D-galactofuranosyl)-sn-1, 2-diacylglycerol. The polar part showed two structural features not previously described for lipoteichoic acids. A 1,2-(instead of the usual 1,3-) phosphodiester-linked sn-glycerol phosphate chain is only used substituted at the terminal glycerol unit with a linear polysaccharide, containing either beta(1----5)-linked D-galactofuranosyl groups or beta(1----6)-linked D-glucopyranosyl groups.     

Structure of macroamphiphiles from several Bifidobacterium strains.

Lipoteichoic acid-like substances, macroamphiphiles, were isolated from cell homogenates of Bifidobacterium bifidum YIT 4007 and YIT 4013, Bifidobacterium breve YIT 4010 and YIT 4014, and Bifidobacterium longum YIT 4021 by phenol extraction followed by nuclease digestion, gel chromatography, ion-exchange chromatography, and hydrophobic interaction chromatography. The macroamphiphile preparations from these five strains contained D-glucose, D-galactose, glycerol, phosphorus, L-alanine, and fatty acids in molar ratios of 1.00, 1.57 to 1.95, 1.02 to 1.99, 0.97 to 1.72, 0.15 to 0.46, and 0.16 to 0.43. Data from structural analyses including methylation, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance measurement, alkaline hydrolysis, mild acid hydrolysis, and hydrogen fluoride treatment led to the most likely common structure for the macroamphiphiles of the examined strains, (formula; see text) where Gro-P is glycerophosphate, m is the number of repeating units of galactofuranan, and n is the number of repeating units of glucan. Whereas the polymers from the respective strains differed in the numbers of repeating units of the galactofuranan and glucan moieties and in the number of fatty acid residues, the proposed structure is essentially the same as that reported previously for the macroamphiphile of B. bifidum subsp. pennsylvanicum DSM 20239 by W. Fischer (Eur. J. Biochem. 165:639-646, 1987).     

双歧杆菌脂磷壁酸和总DNA对小鼠免疫功能的影响

目的比较双歧杆菌2种组分即双歧杆菌脂磷壁酸（LTA）和总DNA的免疫调节作用。方法分别提取和制备双歧杆菌LTA和总DNA。采用淋巴细胞转化法和溶血空斑法分别研究它们对小鼠细胞和体液免疫的调节作用。结果与对照组比较,双歧杆菌和总DNA对T细胞和B细胞都有明显的刺激作用（P〈0．05或P〈0．01）,但是LTA的作用更强（P〈0．01）。结论双歧杆菌细胞壁的LTA和细胞核的总DNA均具有免疫调节作用,但前者效能优于后者。     

Physiology of consumption of human milk oligosaccharides by infant gut-associated bifidobacteria

The bifidogenic effect of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) has long been known, yet the precise mechanism underlying it remains unresolved. Recent studies show that some species/subspecies of Bifidobacterium are equipped with genetic and enzymatic sets dedicated to the utilization of HMOs, and consequently they can grow on HMOs; however, the ability to metabolize HMOs has not been directly linked to the actual metabolic behavior of the bacteria. In this report, we clarify the fate of each HMO during cultivation of infant gut-associated bifidobacteria. Bifidobacterium bifidum JCM1254, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis JCM1222, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum JCM1217, and Bifidobacterium breve JCM1192 were selected for this purpose and were grown on HMO media containing a main neutral oligosaccharide fraction. The mono- and oligosaccharides in the spent media were labeled with 2-anthranilic acid, and their concentrations were determined at various incubation times using normal phase high performance liquid chromatography. The results reflect the metabolic abilities of the respective bifidobacteria. B. bifidum used secretory glycosidases to degrade HMOs, whereas B. longum subsp. infantis assimilated all HMOs by incorporating them in their intact forms. B. longum subsp. longum and B. breve consumed lacto-N-tetraose only. Interestingly, B. bifidum left degraded HMO metabolites outside of the cell even when the cells initiate vegetative growth, which indicates that the different species/subspecies can share the produced sugars. The predominance of type 1 chains in HMOs and the preferential use of type 1 HMO by infant gut-associated bifidobacteria suggest the coevolution of the bacteria with humans.     

Cell surface hydrophobicity ofBifidobacterium bifidum subsp.pennsylvanicum

The possible role of lipoteichoic acid with respect to cell surface properties ofBifidobacterium bifidum subsp.pennsylvanicum was studied. Standard suspensions of bacteria were mixed with octane or xylene.B. bifidum subsp.pennsylvanicum was shown to possess a strongly hydrophobic cell surface. Hydrophobicity of the bacteria could be reduced by treatment with trypsin, pepsin (at pH 4.5), HCl and penicillin. The latter treatment resulted in an increased excretion of lipoteichoic acid. Albumin was capable of inhibiting the adherence to octane when it was present in the assay buffer. The data suggest that both protein and lipoteichoic acid may be involved in cell surface hydrophobicity. A great divergence in cell surface properties was observed within the genusBifidobacterium.     

双歧杆菌脂磷壁酸抗体的制备及其在双歧制品中的检测应用

目的制备双歧杆菌脂磷壁酸抗体并用以检测双歧制品中脂磷壁酸和双歧杆菌活菌的含量。方法提取两歧双歧杆菌脂磷壁酸,加甲基化牛血清白蛋白与佐剂免疫预先已用卡介苗进行多克隆激活的BALB／C小鼠,间接ELISA法检测抗体效价与特异性,用免疫血清经双抗体夹心ELISA法和免疫结合微量培养的方法分别检测酸奶中脂磷壁酸和双歧杆菌活菌量。结果免疫血清最高效价可达1：1280,与所测其他人体双歧杆菌种属存在较强交叉反应,与非双歧杆菌种属无交叉反应。对于脂磷壁酸和双歧杆菌活菌的含量检测取得良好结果,检测线可达10^5 CFU／ml。结论以双歧杆菌脂磷壁酸制备免疫血清,效价高,属特异性好,可用于双歧食品中脂磷壁酸和双歧杆菌活菌的含量检测。     

双歧杆菌防治鼠伤寒沙门菌感染的实验研究

目的　以小鼠为模型,研究双歧杆菌在体内对鼠伤寒沙门菌（Ｓａｌｍｏｎｅｌｌａ ｔｙｐｈｉｍｕｒｉｕｍ ,ＳＴＭ） 感染的防治作用。方法　分别用大剂量悉复欢、Ｂ．ｂｉｆｉｄｕｍ 、生理盐水（ＮＳ） 给三组小鼠灌胃,再用ＳＴＭ 攻击,观察小鼠经上述不同处理前后肠道双歧杆菌数量和ＳＴＭ 攻击后粪便ＳＴＭ 培养阳性率,阳性标本ＳＴＭ 分离值及小鼠ＳＴＭ 感染率;同时用双歧杆菌、悉复欢、双歧杆菌加悉复欢分别治疗ＳＴＭ 感染的小鼠,观察并比较疗效。结果　１． 大剂量悉复欢使用可使小鼠肠道内双歧杆菌明显降低,而双歧杆菌灌胃则肠道双歧杆菌明显增多。双歧杆菌灌胃的小鼠粪便ＳＴＭ培养阳性率、阳性粪便ＳＴＭ 值明显低于用大剂量悉复欢和ＮＳ 的小鼠,小鼠ＳＴＭ 感染发病率也明显较低。２． 对于ＳＴＭ 感染鼠,双歧杆菌与悉复欢联合治疗效果最好。结论　１． 双歧杆菌在体内对ＳＴＭ 有拮抗作用;能预防和减少ＳＴＭ 感染发生;２． 在ＳＴＭ 感染时,先用悉复欢,再用双歧杆菌可以达到预期疗效,双歧杆菌对鼠伤寒沙门菌感染有辅助治疗作用。     

低pH处理对两歧双歧杆菌KLDS2.0603黏附能力的影响

【目的】确定低pH处理对两歧双歧杆菌KLDS2.0603黏附能力及其表面物理化学性质的影响。【方法】将两歧双歧杆菌KLDS2.0603菌体在不同低pH的PBS溶液中处理一定时间后,采用平板菌落计数法和直接镜检法,测定其经历不同pH的酸性环境后的黏附能力,及其表面疏水性和自动聚集能力。【结果】不同pH的PBS溶液处理后的双歧杆菌菌体,其黏附能力均不同程度下降,除pH 5.0的处理组外,其余处理组均显著低于空白组。此外,经不同pH的PBS溶液处理后,仅pH 3.0和3.5的两处理组,双歧杆菌表面疏水性显著提高。除pH 1.0、1.5和5.0的处理组外,其余处理组的自动聚集能力均显著下降。【结论】低pH的酸性环境会降低两歧双歧杆菌KLDS2.0603的黏附能力,并且双歧杆菌的自动聚集能力和表面疏水性也发生相应变化。除pH 3.0和3.5的处理组外,三者之间呈现一定的正相关性。     

双歧杆菌及其表面分子的免疫增强作用

研究双歧杆菌及其脂磷壁酸、细胞壁肽聚糖、培养乏液对小鼠腹腔渗出细胞、脾细胞ＩＬ－１、ＩＬ－２、ＩＬ－６、ＴＮＦ、ＩＦＮ－γ活性和脾ＮＫ、ＬＡＫ细胞活性的影响。结果发现双歧杆菌全菌、脂磷壁酸、肽聚糖多次注入小鼠腹腔一段时间后,小鼠脾ＮＫ细胞、ＬＡＫ细胞活性和ＩＦＮ－γ活性增强,腹腔渗出细胞产生ＩＬ－１、ＩＬ－６、ＴＮＦ活性增强,其中以脂磷壁酸作用最强,肽聚糖次之,培养乏液也有一定作用。双歧杆菌及其表面分子对小鼠脾细胞、腹腔渗出细胞ＩＬ－２活性无显著影响。双歧杆菌的免疫增强作用在抗感染、抗肿瘤机理中占有十分重要的地位。     

Protective effect of bifidus milk on the experimental infection with Salmonella enteritidis subsp. typhimurium in conventional and gnotobiotic mice

The ability of Bifidobacterium bifidum from a commercial bifidus milk to antagonize Salmonella enteritidis subsp. typhimurium in vivo, and to reduce the pathological consequences for the host, was determined using conventional and gnotobiotic mice. Conventional animals received daily, by gavage, 0.1 ml bifidus milk containing about 10(9) cfu B. bifidum and germ-free animals received a single 0.1 ml dose. The conventional and gnotobiotic groups were challenged orally with 10(2) cfu of the pathogenic bacteria 5 and/or 10 d after the beginning of treatment. Control groups were treated with milk. Bifidus milk protected both animal models against the challenge with the pathogenic bacteria, as demonstrated by survival and histopathological data. However, to obtain the protective effect in gnotobiotic animals, the treatment had to be initiated 10 d before the challenge. In experimental and control gnotobiotic mice, Salm. enteritidis subsp. typhimurium became similarly established at levels ranging from 10(8) to 10(9) viable cells g-1 of faeces and remained at these high levels until the animals died or were sacrificed. It was concluded that the protection against Salm. enteritidis subsp. typhimurium observed in conventional and gnotobiotic mice treated with bifidus milk was not due to the reduction of the intestinal populations of the pathogenic bacteria.     

Kinetic analysis of bifidobacterial metabolism reveals a minor role for succinic acid in the regeneration of NAD+ through its growth-associated production

Several strains belonging to the genus Bifidobacterium were tested to determine their abilities to produce succinic acid. Bifidobacterium longum strain BB536 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis strain Bb 12 were kinetically analyzed in detail using in vitro fermentations to obtain more insight into the metabolism and production of succinic acid by bifidobacteria. Changes in end product formation in strains of Bifidobacterium could be related to the specific rate of sugar consumption. When the specific sugar consumption rate increased, relatively more lactic acid and less acetic acid, formic acid, and ethanol were produced, and vice versa. All Bifidobacterium strains tested produced small amounts of succinic acid; the concentrations were not more than a few millimolar. Succinic acid production was found to be associated with growth and stopped when the energy source was depleted. The production of succinic acid contributed to regeneration of a small part of the NAD+, in addition to the regeneration through the production of lactic acid and ethanol.     

Rapid identification of potentially probiotic Bifidobacterium species by multiplex PCR using species-specific primers based on the region extending from 16S rRNA through 23S rRNA

This study aimed at developing a novel multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primer set for identification of the potentially probiotic Bifidobacterium species B. adolescentis, B. animalis subsp. animalis (B. animalis), B. bifidum, B. breve, B. longum biovar infantis (B. infantis), B. animalis subsp. lactis B. lactis, B. longum biovar longum (B. longum) and B. pseudolongum. The primer set comprised specific and conserved primers and was derived from the integrated sequences of 16S and 23S rRNA genes and the rRNA intergenic spacer region (ISR) of each species. It could detect and identify type strains and isolates from pharmaceuticals or dairy products corresponding to the eight Bifidobacterium species with high specificity. It was also useful for screening of the related strains from natural sources such as the gastro-intestinal tract and feces. We suggest that the assay system from this study is an efficient tool for simple, rapid and reliable identification of Bifidobacterium species for which probiotic strains are known.     

Novel Bifidobacterium promoters selected through microarray analysis lead to constitutive high-level gene expression

For the development of a food-grade expression system for Bifidobacterium, a strong promoter leading to high-level expression of cloned gene is a prerequisite. For this purpose, a promoter screening host-vector system for Bifidobacterium has been established using β-glucosidase from Bifidobacterium lactis as a reporter and Bifidobacterium bifidum BGN4 as a host, which is β-glucosidase negative strain. Seven putative promoters showing constitutive high-level expression were selected through microarray analysis based on the genome sequence of B. bifidum BGN4. They were cloned into upstream of β-glucosidase gene and transformed into Escherichia coli DH5α and B. bifidum BGN4. Promoter activities were analyzed both in E. coli and B. bifidum BGN4 by measuring β-glucosidase activity. β-Glucosidase activities in all of the transformants showed growth-associated characteristics. Among them, P919 was the strongest in B. bifidum BGN4 and showed maximum activity at 18 h, while P895 was the strongest in E. coli DH5α at 7 h. This study shows that novel strong promoters such as P919 can be used for high-level expression of foreign genes in Bifidobacterium and will be useful for the construction of an efficient food-grade expression system.     

Note: evaluation of selective media for the enumeration of Bifidobacterium sp. in milk

Pure cultures of three species of bifidobacteria (Bifidobacterium longum, Bif. adolescentis and Bif. bifidum), Lactobacillus acidophilus and a mixed culture of Lact. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus were each enumerated on two differential media and six selective media for the enumeration of bifidobacteria. The appearance of the colonies on the differential media was as expected but when mixed cultures were present, it proved extremely difficult to distinguish one species from another. Of the selective media, AMC, RMS, NPNL and BL-OG performed well in that they gave good recoveries of bifidobacteria and were inhibitory to the growth of Lact. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Strep. salivarius subsp. thermophilus and Lact. acidophilus. However, of these four media, AMC was most convenient as it is based on a commercially available medium, whereas the others must be made up from individual constituents. The AMC agar is thus a good choice for the routine enumeration of bifidobacteria from mixed cultures.     

Rapid identification of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in probiotic products using multiplex PCR

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are beneficial for the gastrointestinal tract and reinforce immunity in human health. Recently, many functional products using the lactic acid bacteria have been developed. Among these LAB, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium longum, and Bifidobacterium bifidum are frequently used for probiotic products. In order to monitor these LAB in commercial probiotic products, a multiplex PCR method was developed. We designed four species-specific primer pairs for multiplex PCR from the 16S rRNA, 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer region, and 23S rRNA genes in Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium longum, and Bifidobacterium bifidum. Using these primer pairs, 4 different LAB were detected with high specificity in functional foods. We suggest that the multiplex PCR method developed in this study would be an efficient tool for simple, rapid, and reliable identification of LAB used as probiotic strains.     

Intra- and extracellular beta-galactosidases from Bifidobacterium bifidum and B. infantis: molecular cloning, heterologous expression, and comparative characterization

Three beta-galactosidase genes from Bifidobacterium bifidum DSM20215 and one beta-galactosidase gene from Bifidobacterium infantis DSM20088 were isolated and characterized. The three B. bifidum beta-galactosidases exhibited a low degree of amino acid sequence similarity to each other and to previously published beta-galactosidases classified as family 2 glycosyl hydrolases. Likewise, the B. infantis beta-galactosidase was distantly related to enzymes classified as family 42 glycosyl hydrolases. One of the enzymes from B. bifidum, termed BIF3, is most probably an extracellular enzyme, since it contained a signal sequence which was cleaved off during heterologous expression of the enzyme in Escherichia coli. Other exceptional features of the BIF3 beta-galactosidase were (i) the monomeric structure of the active enzyme, comprising 1,752 amino acid residues (188 kDa) and (ii) the molecular organization into an N-terminal beta-galactosidase domain and a C-terminal galactose binding domain. The other two B. bifidum beta-galactosidases and the enzyme from B. infantis were multimeric, intracellular enzymes with molecular masses similar to typical family 2 and family 42 glycosyl hydrolases, respectively. Despite the differences in size, molecular composition, and amino acid sequence, all four beta-galactosidases were highly specific for hydrolysis of beta-D-galactosidic linkages, and all four enzymes were able to transgalactosylate with lactose as a substrate.     

Genetic analysis and morphological identification of pilus-like structures in members of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bifidobacterium</Emphasis>

BACKGROUND: Cell surface pili in Gram positive bacteria have been reported to orchestrate the colonization of host tissues, evasion of immunity and the development of biofilms. So far, little if any information is available on the presence of pilus-like structures in human gut commensals like bifidobacteria. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: In this report, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) of various bifidobacterial strains belonging to Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum, Bifidobacterium dentium, Bifidobacterium adolescentis and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis revealed the existence of appendages resembling pilus-like structures. Interestingly, these microorganisms harbour two to six predicted pilus gene clusters in their genome, with each organized in an operon encompassing the major pilin subunit-encoding gene (designated fimA or fimP) together with one or two minor pilin subunit-encoding genes (designated as fimB and/or fimQ), and a gene encoding a sortase enzyme (strA). Quantitative Real Time (qRT)-PCR analysis and RT-PCR experiments revealed a polycistronic mRNA, encompassing the fimA/P and fimB/Q genes, which are differentially expressed upon cultivation of bifidobacteria on various glycans.