Impact of a human gut microbe on Vibrio cholerae host colonization through biofilm enhancement

• Published in: eLife 2022-03, Vol.11
• Main Authors: Barrasso, Kelsey, Chac, Denise, Debela, Meti D, Geigel, Catherine, Steenhaut, Anjali, Rivera Seda, Abigail, Dunmire, Chelsea N, Harris, Jason B, Larocque, Regina C, Midani, Firas S, Qadri, Firdausi, Yan, Jing, Weil, Ana A, Ng, Wai-Leung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; biofilm; Biofilms; Cholera - microbiology; Cholera toxin; Comparative analysis; Diarrhea; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Health aspects; Humans; Infection; infectious disease; Mice; Microbiology and Infectious Disease; microbiome; Microbiota (Symbiotic organisms); Paracoccus aminovorans; pathogenesis; Vibrio cholerae; Virulence; Virulence (Microbiology)
• ISSN: 2050-084X; 2050-084X
• DOI: 10.7554/eLife.73010

Recent studies indicate that the human intestinal microbiota could impact the outcome of infection by the etiological agent of the diarrheal disease cholera. A commensal bacterium, was previously identified in high abundance in stool collected from individuals infected with when compared to stool from uninfected persons. However, if and how interacts with has not been experimentally determined; moreover, whether any association between this bacterium alters the behaviors of to affect the disease outcome is unclear. Here, we show that and together form dual-species biofilm structure at the air-liquid interface, with previously uncharacterized novel features. Importantly, the presence of within the murine small intestine enhances colonization in the same niche that is dependent on the exopolysaccharide and other major components of mature biofilm. These studies illustrate that multispecies biofilm formation is a plausible mechanism used by a gut microbe to increase the virulence of the pathogen, and this interaction may alter outcomes in enteric infections.