The impact of Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 teichoic acid D-alanylation on the generation of effector and regulatory T-cells in healthy mice

PLoS One. 2013 Apr 30;8(4):e63099. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063099. Print 2013.

Abstract

To date it remains unclear how probiotics affect the immune system. Bacterial envelope components may play an essential role, as these are the first to establish bacterial-host cell interactions. Teichoic acids (TAs), and especially lipoteichoic acids, are the most pro-inflammatory components of the gram-positive bacterial envelope. This effect is dependent on D-alanyl substitution of the TA backbone and interactions with TLR2 on host cells. Although the pro-inflammatory properties of TAs have been established in vitro, it remains unclear how TAs affect immunomodulation in vivo. In this study, we investigated the role of TA D-alanylation on L. plantarum-induced intestinal and systemic immunomodulation in vivo. For this, we compared the effect of L. plantarum WCFS1 and its TA D-Alanylation negative derivative (dltX-D) on the distribution of dendritic cell and T cell populations and responses in healthy mice. We demonstrated that the majority of the L. plantarum-induced in vivo immunomodulatory effects were dependent on D-alanylation (D-Ala), as some L. plantarum WCFS1-induced immune changes were not observed in the dltX-D-treated group and some were only observed after treatment with dltX-D. Strikingly, not only pro-inflammatory immune responses were abolished in the absence of D-Ala substitution, but also anti-inflammatory responses, such as the L. plantarum-induced generation of regulatory T cells in the spleen. With this study we provide insight in host-microbe interactions, by demonstrating the involvement of D-alanylation of TAs on the bacterial membrane in intestinal and systemic immunomodulation in healthy mice.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Wall / chemistry
  • Cell Wall / immunology
  • Cytokines / immunology
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Immunomodulation*
  • Inflammation / immunology
  • Inflammation / metabolism
  • Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / metabolism
  • Intestinal Mucosa / immunology
  • Intestinal Mucosa / metabolism
  • Intestinal Mucosa / microbiology
  • Lactobacillus plantarum / chemistry
  • Lactobacillus plantarum / immunology*
  • Lymph Nodes / immunology
  • Male
  • Mesentery
  • Mice
  • Peyer's Patches / immunology
  • Peyer's Patches / metabolism
  • Probiotics
  • Signal Transduction
  • Spleen / immunology
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / metabolism
  • Teichoic Acids / immunology*
  • Teichoic Acids / metabolism
  • Toll-Like Receptor 2 / metabolism

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • Foxp3 protein, mouse
  • Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit
  • Teichoic Acids
  • Toll-Like Receptor 2
  • alanyl-lipoteichoic acid

Grants and funding

This work was supported by a project from the Top Institute Food and Nutrition, Wageningen, The Netherlands. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.