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Competition for proline between indigenous Escherichia coli and E. coli O157:H7 in gnotobiotic mice associated with infant intestinal microbiota and its contribution to the colonization resistance against E. coli O157:H7

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Abstract

Previously, we produced two groups of gnotobiotic mice, GB-3 and GB-4, which showed different responses to Escherichia coli O157:H7 challenge. E. coli O157:H7 was eliminated from GB-3, whereas GB-4 mice became carriers. It has been reported that the lag time of E. coli O157:H7 growth in 50% GB-3 caecal suspension was extended when compared to GB-4 caecal suspension. In this study, competition for nutrients between intestinal microbiota of GB-3 and GB-4 mice and E. coli O157:H7 was examined. Amino acid concentrations in the caecal contents of GB-3 and GB-4 differed, especially the concentration of proline. The supplementation of proline into GB-3 caecal suspension decreased the lag time of E. coli O157:H7 growth in vitro. When E. coli O157:H7 was cultured with each of the strains used to produce GB-3 mice in vitro, 2 strains of E. coli (proline consumers) out of 5 enterobacteriaceae strains strongly suppressed E. coli O157:H7 growth and the suppression was attenuated by the addition of proline into the medium. These results indicate that competition for proline with indigenous E. coli affected the growth of E. coli O157:H7 in vivo and may contribute to E. coli O157:H7 elimination from the intestine.

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Abbreviations

BFA:

Baby-flora-associated

CFU:

Colony forming units

GB:

Gnotobiotic

GF:

Germfree

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank Ms. Masako Fujiwara for technical support in studies using germfree mice. This work was supported by grants from the Yakult Bio-Science Foundation and the Morinaga Foundation for Health & Nutrition.

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  1. Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan

    Yoshika Momose, Kazuhiro Hirayama & Kikuji Itoh

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  1. Yoshika Momose
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  2. Kazuhiro Hirayama
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  3. Kikuji Itoh
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Correspondence to Kikuji Itoh.

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Momose, Y., Hirayama, K. & Itoh, K. Competition for proline between indigenous Escherichia coli and E. coli O157:H7 in gnotobiotic mice associated with infant intestinal microbiota and its contribution to the colonization resistance against E. coli O157:H7. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 94, 165–171 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10482-008-9222-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10482-008-9222-6

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