HMO-primed bifidobacteria exhibit enhanced ability to adhere to intestinal epithelial cells

• Published in: Frontiers in microbiology Vol. 14; p. 1232173
• Main Authors: Walsh, Clodagh, Owens, Rebecca A, Bottacini, Francesca, Lane, Jonathan A, van Sinderen, Douwe, Hickey, Rita M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 2023
• Subjects: Bifidobacterium; breastmilk; colonization; HMO; prebiotics; probiotics; Bifidobacterium; breastmilk; colonization; prebiotics; HMO; hIECs; probiotics
• ISSN: 1664-302X; 1664-302X
• DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1232173

The ability of gut commensals to adhere to the intestinal epithelium can play a key role in influencing the composition of the gut microbiota. Bifidobacteria are associated with a multitude of health benefits and are one of the most widely used probiotics for humans. Enhanced bifidobacterial adhesion may increase host-microbe, microbe-nutrient, and/or microbe-microbe interactions, thereby enabling consolidated health benefits to the host. The objective of this study was to determine the ability of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) to enhance bifidobacterial intestinal adhesion
. This study assessed the colonisation-promoting effects of HMOs on four commercial infant-associated
strains (two
subsp.
strains,
and
). HT29-MTX cells were used as an
intestinal model for bacterial adhesion. Short-term exposure of four commercial infant-associated
strains to HMOs derived from breastmilk substantially increased the adherence (up to 47%) of these probiotic strains. Interestingly, when strains were incubated with HMOs as a four-strain combination, the number of viable bacteria adhering to intestinal cells increased by >90%. Proteomic analysis of this multi-strain bifidobacterial mixture revealed that the increased adherence resulting from exposure to HMOs was associated with notable increases in the abundance of sortase-dependent pili and glycosyl hydrolases matched to
. This study suggests that HMOs may prime infant gut-associated
for colonisation to intestinal epithelial cells by influencing the expression of various colonization factors.