Membrane sphingolipids as essential molecular signals for Bacteroides survival in the intestine

As predominant intestinal symbiotic bacteria, Bacteroides are essential in maintaining the health of the normal mammalian host; in return, the host provides a niche with plentiful nutrients for the symbionts. However, the intestinal environment is replete with chemical, physical, and biological chal...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 2011-03, Vol.108 (Supplement 1), p.4666-4671
Main Authors: An, Dingding, Na, Chongzheng, Bielawski, Jacek, Hannun, Yusuf A, Kasper, Dennis L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bacteria
Bacteroides
Bacteroides - metabolism
Bacteroides - physiology
Biological Sciences
Cell Membrane - metabolism
Cell membranes
Ceramides
Cholesterol - metabolism
Cholesterols
Colloquium Papers
Eukaryotic cells
Humans
Intestines
Intestines - microbiology
Lipids
mammals
Microscopy, Atomic Force
microsymbionts
nutrients
Oxidative stress
signal transduction
Signal Transduction - physiology
Sphingolipids
Sphingolipids - biosynthesis
Sphingolipids - chemistry
Sphingolipids - metabolism
stress response
Stress, Physiological - physiology
symbiosis
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Summary:As predominant intestinal symbiotic bacteria, Bacteroides are essential in maintaining the health of the normal mammalian host; in return, the host provides a niche with plentiful nutrients for the symbionts. However, the intestinal environment is replete with chemical, physical, and biological challenges that require mechanisms for prompt and adept sensing of and responses to stress if the bacteria are to survive. Herein we propose that to persist in the intestine Bacteroides take advantage of their unusual bacterial sphingolipids to mediate signaling pathways previously known to be available only to higher organisms. Sphingolipids convey diverse signal transduction and stress response pathways and have profound physiological impacts demonstrated in a variety of eukaryotic cell types. We propose a mechanism by which the formation of specific sphingolipid membrane microdomains initiates signaling cascades that facilitate survival strategies within the bacteria. Our preliminary data suggest that sphingolipid signaling plays an important role in Bacteroides physiology, enabling these bacteria to persist in the intestine and to perform other functions related to symbiosis.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.1001501107