Journal Article

Host Genetics and Environmental Factors Regulate Ecological Succession of the Mouse Colon Tissue-Associated Microbiota

Smith, Philip, Holway, Nicholas, Butler, Matt, Clark, Natalie, Parkinson, Scott J., Watson, Robert P., Siddharth, Jay, Pearson, Ruth, Shaxted, Mark, Jamontt, Joanna, Sanmugalingam, Devika

2012

Overview

The integration of host genetics, environmental triggers and the microbiota is a recognised factor in the pathogenesis of barrier function diseases such as IBD. In order to determine how these factors interact to regulate the host immune response and ecological succession of the colon tissue-associated microbiota, we investigated the temporal interaction between the microbiota and the host following disruption of the colonic epithelial barrier. Oral administration of DSS was applied as a mechanistic model of environmental damage of the colon and the resulting inflammation characterized for various parameters over time in WT and Nod2 KO mice. In WT mice, DSS damage exposed the host to the commensal flora and led to a migration of the tissue-associated bacteria from the epithelium to mucosal and submucosal layers correlating with changes in proinflammatory cytokine profiles and a progressive transition from acute to chronic inflammation of the colon. Tissue-associated bacteria levels peaked at day 21 post-DSS and declined thereafter, correlating with recruitment of innate immune cells and development of the adaptive immune response. Histological parameters, immune cell infiltration and cytokine biomarkers of inflammation were indistinguishable between Nod2 and WT littermates following DSS, however, Nod2 KO mice demonstrated significantly higher tissue-associated bacterial levels in the colon. DSS damage and Nod2 genotype independently regulated the community structure of the colon microbiota. The results of these experiments demonstrate the integration of environmental and genetic factors in the ecological succession of the commensal flora in mammalian tissue. The association of Nod2 genotype (and other host polymorphisms) and environmental factors likely combine to influence the ecological succession of the tissue-associated microflora accounting in part for their association with the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Adaptive immunity / Analysis / Animals / Antibiotics / Bacteria / Bacteria - classification / Bacteria - genetics / Bacteria - immunology / Bacterial Translocation - immunology / Bioindicators / Biology / Biomarkers / Biomedical research / Breastfeeding & lactation / Chronic illnesses / Citrobacter / Cloning / Colitis - chemically induced / Colitis - genetics / Colitis - microbiology / Colon / Colon - immunology / Colon - metabolism / Colon - microbiology / Community structure / Crohn's disease / Crohns disease / Cytokines - immunology / Cytokines - metabolism / Dextran Sulfate / Disruption / Drinking water / Ecological effects / Ecological monitoring / Ecological succession / Ecosystem / Environmental degradation / Environmental factors / Epithelium / Epithelium - immunology / Epithelium - metabolism / Epithelium - microbiology / Flora / Gastrointestinal diseases / Genetic factors / Genetic Variation / Genetics / Genotype / Genotype & phenotype / Hepatitis / Host-Pathogen Interactions - immunology / Immune response / Immune system / Infections / Infiltration / Inflammation / Inflammatory bowel disease / Inflammatory bowel diseases / Inflammatory Bowel Diseases - chemically induced / Inflammatory Bowel Diseases - genetics / Inflammatory Bowel Diseases - microbiology / Inflammatory diseases / Integration / Intestinal Mucosa - immunology / Intestinal Mucosa - metabolism / Intestinal Mucosa - microbiology / Intestine / Medicine / Metagenome - genetics / Mice / Mice, Inbred C57BL / Mice, Knockout / Microbiota / Microbiota (Symbiotic organisms) / Microflora / Migration / Molecular Sequence Data / Mucosa / NOD2 protein / Nod2 Signaling Adaptor Protein - deficiency / Nod2 Signaling Adaptor Protein - genetics / Oral administration / Pathogenesis / Pathogens / Phylogeny / Plant succession / RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics / Rodents / Smith, Jay / Tissues