Author response: Bacterial colonization stimulates a complex physiological response in the immature human intestinal epithelium
Year: 2017
Type: peer-review
Abstract: Human newborns are exposed to large numbers of bacteria at birth. They must transition from the protective, sterile environment of the womb into the bacteria-rich world. The gut, in particular, must adapt as bacteria colonize it. Many of the first bacteria found in the newborn gut form the basis of the bacterial communities needed for a healthy intestine throughout life. In some premature infants, bacterial colonization of the intestine may trigger harmful inflammation and a serious illness called necrotizing enterocolitis. It is not known exactly how the immature intestine first responds to bacteria. It is also unclear what goes wrong that causes illness in some premature infants. Learning more about how a healthy newborn intestine becomes colonized and responds to this colonization may help medical professionals to better care for normal infants and those who are at risk of intestinal disease. But it has been difficult to study because there is not much newborn intestinal tissue available for scientific research. One solution would be to grow tissue in the laboratory that is like tissue found in the newborn intestine and see how it adapts to bacteria. Now, Hill et al. use stem cells to grow a tissue in the laboratory that is very like immature newborn intestine and show that bacterial colonization helps it to mature. In the experiments, stem cells were grown into an intestine-like tissue. Analyses showed that this laboratory-grown tissue had the same patterns of gene expression as newborn intestines. Then, a type of bacteria called Escherichia coli that is normally found in the intestines of healthy babies was introduced to the intestine-like tissue. Hill et al. show that the initial contact with bacteria and changes in oxygen levels due to bacterial activity cause shifts in gene expression. These in turn stimulate the release of mucus and other protective responses. A protein called NF-κB plays a central role in these normal bacteria-intestine interactions. Hill et al. show that using a drug to block NF-κB interferes with these processes. The experiments show that contact with bacteria encourages the immature intestine to protect itself from potential harm. More experiments like these may help scientists understand normal bacteria-intestine interactions in early life and how they may go wrong in disease. These studies might also help identify new treatments for babies with necrotizing enterocolitis.
Source: eLife
Authors: David R Hill, Sha Huang, Melinda S Nagy, Veda K Yadagiri, Courtney Fields, Dishari Mukherjee, Brooke Bons, Priya H Dedhia, Alana M Chin, Yu-Hwai Tsai, Shrikar Thodla, Thomas M Schmidt, Seth Walk, Vincent B Young, Jason R Spence
Institutions: University of Michigan, Montana State University
Language: English
Topic: Gut microbiota and health
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,500
OpenAlex ID: W2984482745