Propionibacterium freudenreichii (Pf) is a beneficial bacterium, a good bug, with a long history of safe use. It has been used since ancient times to ripen cheeses such as emmental and to give them aroma. It also recently revealed probiotic potential, including the ability to mitigate inflammation. Elucidating this anti-inflammatory effect may open new avenues for the development of functional foods and supplements.

Propionibacterium freudenreichii was recently recognized as a probiotic bacterium able to mitigate intestinal inflammation via Th17 lymphocytes regulation. Some strains, including Pf CIRM-BIA129 possess peculiar surface extractible proteins, of the surface-layer type, called Slps. We investigated here the specific role of one of these surface extractible proteins, called SlpB, in this beneficial probiotic effect of the strain Pf CIRM-BIA129.

We found that:

• The protein SlpB mediates adhesion of Propionibacterium freudenreichii CIRM-BIA129 to human intestinal epithelial cells

• SlpB of Propionibacterium freudenreichii is able to modulate the immune response of human leucocytes (PBMCs)

• SlpB is required for Propionibacterium freudenreichii to mitigate inflammation in vivo

Left: The normal structure of the intestinal epithelium (A) is destroyed during inflammatory mucositis (B). This destruction is avoided by consumption of Propionibacterium freudenreichii CIRM-BIA129, that possess the surface protein SlpB (C), but not by its mutant inactivated in slpB gene and thus enable to produce the SlpB protein (D). Right: Antibodies directed against the surface protein SlpB (anti-SlpB) inhibit adhesion of Propionibacterium freudenreichii CIRM-BIA129 to cultures of human intestinal epithelial cells. So does the mutational inactivation of the slpB gene.

 
 The elucidation of the natural molecules, produced by probiotic bacteria, which do trigger an immunomodulatory response, mitigating inflammation, opens new perspectives for the development of active ingredients, both for the functional food development and for the pharmaceutical innovation.

 Collaborations

• LIA BactInflam
• Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil
• CIIL - Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, 59000 Lille, France

Read more

Deutsch, S.-M., Mariadassou, M., Nicolas, P., Parayre, S., Le Guellec, R., Chuat, V., et al. (2017). Identification of proteins involved in the anti-inflammatory properties of Propionibacterium freudenreichii by means of a multi-strain study. Sci Rep 7, 46409. DOI:10.1038/srep46409.

do Carmo, F. L. R., Rabah, H., Cordeiro, B. F., da Silva, S. H., Pessoa, R. M., Fernandes, S. O. A., et al. (2019). Probiotic  Propionibacterium freudenreichii requires SlpB protein to mitigate mucositis induced by chemotherapy. Oncotarget 10, 7198–7219. doi:10.18632/oncotarget.27319.

do Carmo, F. L. R., Rabah, H., Huang, S., Gaucher, F., Deplanche, M., Dutertre, S., et al. (2017). Propionibacterium freudenreichii Surface Protein SlpB Is Involved in Adhesion to Intestinal HT-29 Cells. Front Microbiol 8, 1033. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2017.01033.

do Carmo, F. L. R., Silva, W. M., Tavares, G. C., Ibraim, I. C., Cordeiro, B. F., Oliveira, E. R., et al. (2018). Mutation of the Surface Layer Protein SlpB Has Pleiotropic Effects in the Probiotic Propionibacterium freudenreichii CIRM-BIA 129. Front. Microbiol. 9, 1807. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2018.01807.

Rodovalho, V. de R., Luz, B. S. R. da, Rabah, H., Carmo, F. L. R. D., Folador, E. L., Nicolas, A., et al. (2020). Extracellular vesicles produced by the probiotic Propionibacterium freudenreichii CIRM-BIA129 mitigate inflammation by modulating the NF-κB pathway. Frontiers in Microbiology 11. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2020.01544.

Contacts

Gwénaël Jan • gwenael.jan@inrae.fr

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