The commensal Escherichia coli CEC15 reinforces intestinal defences in gnotobiotic mice and is protective in a chronic colitis mouse model

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. 11431 - 17
• Main Authors: Escribano-Vazquez, Unai, Verstraeten, Sophie, Martin, Rebeca, Chain, Florian, Langella, Philippe, Thomas, Muriel, Cherbuy, Claire
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 07-08-2019; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 13; 13/51; 38; 631/443; 692/4020; Animal models; Animals; Antimicrobial peptides; Benzenesulfonates - administration & dosage; Benzenesulfonates - toxicity; CD3 antigen; Chronic Disease; Colitis; Colitis - chemically induced; Colitis - genetics; Colitis - immunology; Colitis - microbiology; Colon; Colon - drug effects; Colon - immunology; Colon - microbiology; Colon - pathology; Digestive system; Disease Models, Animal; E coli; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - immunology; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - immunology; Gastrointestinal tract; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation - immunology; Germ-Free Life; Germfree; Gnotobiotic; Homeostasis; Host Microbial Interactions - immunology; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Immune response; Inflammation; Inflammatory bowel disease; Interleukin 1; Interleukin 10; Interleukin-10 - genetics; Interleukin-10 - immunology; Intestinal microflora; Intestinal Mucosa - drug effects; Intestinal Mucosa - immunology; Intestinal Mucosa - pathology; Intestine; Life Sciences; Male; Mice; Microbiota; multidisciplinary; Peptide synthesis; Peroxidase; Probiotics; Reactive oxygen species; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Severity of Illness Index; Symbiosis - immunology; DIFFERENTIAL INDUCTION; RESPONSES; BACTERIA; EPITHELIUM; INFLAMMATION; BACTEROIDES-VULGATUS; COLONIZATION; GUT MICROBIOTA; EXPRESSION; CHILDREN
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47611-9

Escherichia coli
is a regular inhabitant of the gut microbiota throughout life. However, its role in gut health is controversial. Here, we investigated the relationship between the commensal
E
.
coli
strain CEC15 (CEC), which we previously isolated, and the intestine in homeostatic and disease-prone settings. The impact of CEC was compared to that of the probiotic
E. coli
Nissle 1917 (Nissle) strain. The expression of ileal and colonic genes that play a key role in intestinal homeostasis was higher in CEC- and Nissle-mono-associated wild-type mice than in germfree mice. This included genes involved in the turnover of reactive oxygen species, antimicrobial peptide synthesis, and immune responses. The impact of CEC and Nissle on such gene expression was stronger in a disease-prone setting,
i
.
e
. in gnotobiotic IL10-deficient mice. In a chronic colitis model, CEC more strongly decreased signs of colitis severity (myeloperoxidase activity and CD3
+
immune-cell infiltration) than Nissle. Thus, our study shows that CEC and Nissle contribute to increased expression of genes involved in the maintenance of gut homeostasis in homeostatic and inflammatory settings. We show that these
E. coli
strains, in particular CEC, can have a beneficial effect in a chronic colitis mouse model.