title: Modulation of the eps-ome transcription of bifidobacteria through simulation of human intestinal environment.
abstract: Bacterial exopolysaccharides (EPSs) are mono- or oligo-saccharide units linked by glycosidic bonds, forming homo- or hetero-polymers. In gut commensals, these macromolecules are claimed to protect bacterial cells against gastrointestinal challenges and to be involved in modulating the cross talk between the producing bacterium and its gut environment. The predicted EPS arsenal of theBifidobacteriumgenus, which we designate here as theeps-ome, consists of 9epsgene clusters conserved among different bifidobacterial species and a further 44 uniqueepsloci, together representing a large proportion of the inter(sub)species variability identified among bifidobacterial genomes. Co-cultivations of bifidobacterial species in media simulating adult and infant human gut environments resulted in an increased transcription of key genes for EPS biosynthesis, including glycosyltransferase-encoding genes, as well as genes specifying EPS transporter and polymerase functions, and saccharide biosynthesis and modification enzymes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, I-43124 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferrario
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, I-43124 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Milani
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, I-43124 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mancabelli
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, I-43124 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriele Andrea
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Lugli
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, I-43124 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Duranti
authors.affiliation: GenProbio Ltd, 43124 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mangifesta
authors.affiliation: GenProbio Ltd, 43124 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Viappiani
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, I-43124 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Turroni
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry of Dairy Products, Dairy Research Institute of Asturias (IPLA-CSIC), Villaviciosa, Asturias, 33300, Spain.
authors.forename: Abelardo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Margolles
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry of Dairy Products, Dairy Research Institute of Asturias (IPLA-CSIC), Villaviciosa, Asturias, 33300, Spain.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ruas-Madiedo
authors.affiliation: APC Microbiome Institute and School of Microbiology, National University of Ireland, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Douwe
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van Sinderen
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, I-43124 Parma, Italy marco.ventura@unipr.it.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ventura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000235:genetics*; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D012329:RNA, Bacterial
keywords: Bifidobacterium; RNAseq; exopolysaccharide; genomics; gut microbiota