Bacterial protein weakens the colon barrier University of Gothenburg

The bacterium Brachyspira pilosicoli has long been known to cause intestinal leptospirosis. This bacterial infection causes diarrhea, abdominal pain, and weight loss.

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Zahir Pilacid's research group, in collaboration with Magnus Simrin in the Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, used proteomics and advanced structural biology to study how these bacteria interact with the surface cells of the large intestine. The results were published in the journal Gut Microbes.

It makes the surface of the intestine unstable

The study showed that a protein on the surface of the bacteria, called BPP43_05035, binds to N-glycans on the surface of colon epithelial cells and disrupts the tight junctions that normally maintain intestinal barrier function.

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The first author is Anandi Rajan, a postdoctoral fellow in the Mucin Biology groups at the Sahlgrenska Academy:

Our findings suggest that the bacterial protein not only helps bacteria adhere to intestinal tissue, but also destabilizes the epithelial barrier, making it more permeable. Our discovery could have profound implications for patients with intestinal leptospirosis, says Anandi Rajan.

Contraindications for infection

For patients infected with Brachyspira pilosicoli, researchers were able to see a clear relationship between the presence of the protein on the surface of the colon and decreased activity of genes important for protective functions in the intestine, both joint density and brush density. Such as structures on the cell surface. This may explain why patients with this infection develop chronic symptoms, and provides an opportunity for a new type of treatment.

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The research collaboration was led by Dhaher Blasaïd, associate professor in the Biology Collections at Mucin.

– Our research reveals how Brachyspira pilosicoli bacteria attack and weaken the intestinal barrier. These bacterial species are common in patients with intestinal diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome or irritable bowel syndrome, but the bacteria are very difficult to treat with antibiotics. By targeting this particular protein, we can now block one of the attack tools that bacteria use to infect the human colon, says Taher Blassaid.

This discovery opens new avenues for exploring treatments that can prevent bacteria from attaching to colon cells for infection. Because Brachyspira infection and intestinal permeability are linked to many health conditions, including IBS, the study represents a major advance in understanding and treating these conditions.

purpose: BPP43_05035 is a Brachyspira pilosicoli cell surface adhesin that impairs epithelial barrier integrity during infection.. Gut Microbes, 16(1).