Propionibacterium freudenreichii
UMR STLO Unit
Research
Microbio group
Propionibacterium freudenreichii

The cheese-born probiotic bacterium Propionibacterium freudenreichii strengthens the intestinal epithelial barrier

The increasing incidence of diseases involving inflammation and increased intestinal permeability makes the search for protective functional foods more crucial than ever. Propionibacterium freudenreichii is a beneficial bacterium isolated from cheese, used in dairy and probiotic applications. Some strains have proven anti-inflammatory effects in vitro and in vivo. This protective effect was further clarified in vivo where the integrity of the intestinal epithelial barrier was preserved, when subjected to inflammatory stress.

In this research work, we evaluated whether P. freudenreichii CIRM-BIA129, consumed daily as a preventive measure, could protect mice from acute colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), and more precisely whether it could protect from inflammation-induced intestinal epithelial degradation. In particular, the impact of this probiotic on the permeability of the intestinal epithelial barrier, under physiological conditions or under conditions of inflammation, was characterized. In this research, we showed that P. freudenreichii CIRM-BIA129:

  • attenuated colitis severity in vivo
  • inhibited colitis-induced increased permeability and limited crypt length reduction in vivo
  • promoted expression of the tight junction protein Zonula Occludens-1 (ZO-1) in vivo
  • prevented disruption of a Caco-2 intestinal cell monolayer induced by proinflammatory cytokines and increased transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) in vitro
  • inhibited inflammation-induced increased permeability by increasing ZO-1 expression in vitro
  • extracellular vesicles (EVs) of P. freudenreichii CIRM-BIA129, carrying the surface layer protein SlpB, reproduce the protective effect of the bacterium in vitro

 

Experimantal protocol and results
Preventive consumption of Propionibacterium freudenreichii (A) prevents colitis, (B) reduces disease intensity, and (C) preserves intestinal barrier architecture. © G. Jan

Furthermore, a mutant strain, deleted of the gene encoding SlpB (ΔslpB), or EVs from this mutant strain, lost these protective effects and aggravated in vivo the colitis and inflammation induced by DSS.

In conclusion, these results open new avenues for the use of dairy probiotic propionibacteria and/or postbiotic fractions thereof, in the context of increasing pathologies involving increased intestinal permeability and inflammation..

Collaboration

Malvyne Derkinderen, Université de Nantes, Inserm, TENS, The Enteric Nervous System in Gut and Brain Diseases, IMAD, Nantes, France. https://www.inserm-tens.com/

Read more

Mantel M, Durand T, Bessard A, Pernet S, Beaudeau J, Guimaraes-Laguna J, Maillard M-B, Guédon E, Neunlist M, Le Loir Y, Jan G, Rolli-Derkinderen M. 2024. Propionibacterium freudenreichii CIRM-BIA 129 mitigates colitis through S layer protein B-dependent epithelial strengthening. Am J Physiol-Gastrointest Liver Physiol 326:G163–G175. https://hal.science/hal-04322697v1

Contact

Gwénaël Jan gwenael.jan@inrae.fr

Financial support

This work was supported by the Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnment (INRAE). We are grateful to the Regional Councils of Bretagne (grant No. 19008213) and Pays de la Loire (grant No. 2019-013227) for their financial support through the interregional project PROLIFIC.

Modification date: 19 November 2024 | Publication date: 19 November 2024 | By: STLO