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Colonization of the Mouse Upper Gastrointestinal Tract by Lactobacillus murinus: A Histological, Immunocytochemical, and Ultrastructural Study

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Abstract

Lactobacillus is normally present in animals and humans colonizing several epithelia, mainly those belonging to the upper gastrointestinal tract. Most of the information about the distribution of Lactobacillus in mice has been obtained by bacterial culture and characterization, and only few reports have described the direct presence of these bacteria in tissues, especially in the gastric mucosa. In this study, we have characterized and evaluated the location and detailed relationship between Lactobacillus and epithelia using a combination of histological, molecular, immunocytochemical and ultrastructural methods. Normal Balb/c mice were sacrificed to study esophagus and stomach. Partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing, Gram, and P.A. Schiff staining allowed us to demonstrate that Lactobacillus murinus isolated from each animal colonize not only the epithelium of the forestomach but also that belonging to the distal esophagus. The pattern of colonization was linear over the keratinized epithelium, and also in a vertical way of focal bacterial aggregates. This was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, and the nature of bacteria was further assessed by immunocytochemistry. Our results indicate that L. murinus can colonize the stomach and the esophagus epithelia in a biofilm-like manner, possibly acting as a defense barrier against colonization by other bacteria.

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Acknowledgments

Authors thank the excellent technical assistance of Julio Happa (Histotechnology Laboratory, Hospital Británico de Buenos Aires), and the suggestions of Gladys Martos (Centro Nacional de Referencia de Lactobacilos-CERELA-, CONICET, Tucumán, Argentina). This study was supported by Grant PICT 01-6580 given to M.A. by the Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica de la República Argentina (ANPCyT). The English manuscript was proofread by Data-Editing Lab Group ADM. Sergio Mazzini. Job Code: N.S. 9/12.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de General San Martin, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Marta Almirón

  2. Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Calle Paraguay 2155, Piso 11, C-1121-ABG, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Germán Traglia, Andrea Rubio & Norberto Sanjuan

  3. Laboratorio de Patología Experimental, Instituto de Microbiología y Parasitología Médica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (IMPaM-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Norberto Sanjuan

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  1. Marta Almirón
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  2. Germán Traglia
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  4. Norberto Sanjuan
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Correspondence to Norberto Sanjuan.

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Almirón, M., Traglia, G., Rubio, A. et al. Colonization of the Mouse Upper Gastrointestinal Tract by Lactobacillus murinus: A Histological, Immunocytochemical, and Ultrastructural Study. Curr Microbiol 67, 395–398 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-013-0367-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-013-0367-9

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