Akkermansia muciniphila Exerts Strain-Specific Effects on DSS-Induced Ulcerative Colitis in Mice

Qing Liu; Wenwei Lu; Fengwei Tian; Jianxin Zhao; Hao Zhang; Kan Hong; Leilei Yu

doi:10.3389/fcimb.2021.698914

Akkermansia muciniphila Exerts Strain-Specific Effects on DSS-Induced Ulcerative Colitis in Mice

Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2021 Aug 4:11:698914. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.698914. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Qing Liu^{1

2}, Wenwei Lu^{1

2}, Fengwei Tian^{1

2}, Jianxin Zhao^{1

2}, Hao Zhang^{1

2

3

4}, Kan Hong⁵, Leilei Yu^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China.
² School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China.
³ National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China.
⁴ Wuxi Translational Medicine Research Center and Jiangsu Translational Medicine Research Institute Wuxi Branch, Wuxi, China.
⁵ Wuxi People's Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China.

Abstract

Akkermansia muciniphila is a commensal bacterium of the gut mucus layer. Although both in vitro and in vivo data have shown that A. muciniphila strains exhibit strain-specific modulation of gut functions, its ability to moderate immunity to ulcerative colitis have not been verified. We selected three isolated human A. muciniphila strains (FSDLZ39M14, FSDLZ36M5 and FSDLZ20M4) and the A. muciniphila type strain ATCC BAA-835 to examine the effects of different A. muciniphila strains on dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis. All of the A. muciniphila strains were cultured anaerobically in brain heart infusion medium supplemented with 0.25% type II mucin from porcine stomach. To create animal models, colitis was established in C57BL/6 mice which randomly divided into six groups with 10 mice in each group by adding 3% dextran sulfate sodium to drinking water for 7 days. A. muciniphila strains were orally administered to the mice at a dose of 1 × 10⁹ CFU. Only A. muciniphila FSDLZ36M5 exerted significant protection against ulcerative colitis (UC) by increasing the colon length, restoring body weight, decreasing gut permeability and promoting anti-inflammatory cytokine expression. However, the other strains (FSDLZ39M14, ATCC BAA-835 and FSDLZ20M4) failed to provide these effects. Notably, A. muciniphila FSDLZ20M4 showed a tendency to exacerbate inflammation according to several indicators. Gut microbiota sequencing showed that A. muciniphila FSDLZ36M5 supplementation recovered the gut microbiota of mice to a similar state to that of the control group. A comparative genomic analysis demonstrated that the positive effects of A. muciniphila FSDLZ36M5 compared with the FSDLZ20M4 strain may be associated with specific functional genes that are involved in immune defense mechanisms and protein synthesis. Our results verify the efficacy of A. muciniphila in improving UC and provide gene targets for the efficient and rapid screening of A. muciniphila strains with UC-alleviating effects.

Keywords: Akkermansia muciniphila; comparative genomics; intestinal inflammation; strain-specific; ulcerative colitis.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Akkermansia
Animals
Colitis*
Colitis, Ulcerative* / chemically induced
Mice
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Verrucomicrobia