Deprivation of dietary fiber in specific-pathogen-free mice promotes susceptibility to the intestinal mucosal pathogen Citrobacter rodentium. (1st January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Neumann, Mareike; Steimle, Alex; Grant, Erica T.; Wolter, Mathis; Parrish, Amy; Willieme, Stéphanie; Brenner, Dirk; Martens, Eric C.; Desai, Mahesh S.
• Is Part Of: Gut microbes. Volume 13:Isuse 1(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-01-01
• Subjects: Microbiome -- mucin -- mucus layer -- citrobacter rodentium -- dietary fiber -- SPF mice; Gastrointestinal system -- Microbiology -- Periodicals; Microbiology -- Periodicals; Intestine, Small -- Periodicals; 616.3
• DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2021.1966263
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1949-0984

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The change of dietary habits in Western societies, including reduced consumption of fiber, is linked to alterations in gut microbial ecology. Nevertheless, mechanistic connections between diet-induced microbiota changes that affect colonization resistance and enteric pathogen susceptibility are still emerging. We sought to investigate how a diet devoid of soluble plant fibers impacts the structure and function of a conventional gut microbiota in specific-pathogen-free (SPF) mice and how such changes alter susceptibility to a rodent enteric pathogen. We show that absence of dietary fiber intake leads to shifts in the abundances of specific taxa, microbiome-mediated erosion of the colonic mucus barrier, a reduction of intestinal barrier-promoting short-chain fatty acids, and increases in markers of mucosal barrier integrity disruption. Importantly, our results highlight that these low-fiber diet-induced changes in the gut microbial ecology collectively contribute to a lethal colitis by the mucosal pathogen Citrobacter rodentium, which is used as a mouse model for enteropathogenic and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EPEC and EHEC, respectively). Our study indicates that modern, low-fiber Western-style diets might make individuals more prone to infection by enteric pathogens via the disruption of mucosal barrier integrity by diet-driven changes in the gut microbiota, illustrating possible implications for EPEC and EHEC infections.