Frontiers in Immunology (Jan 2020)

Distribution of Bacterial α1,3-Galactosyltransferase Genes in the Human Gut Microbiome

  • Emmanuel Montassier,
  • Emmanuel Montassier,
  • Emmanuel Montassier,
  • Gabriel A. Al-Ghalith,
  • Camille Mathé,
  • Camille Mathé,
  • Quentin Le Bastard,
  • Quentin Le Bastard,
  • Venceslas Douillard,
  • Venceslas Douillard,
  • Venceslas Douillard,
  • Abel Garnier,
  • Abel Garnier,
  • Abel Garnier,
  • Rémi Guimon,
  • Rémi Guimon,
  • Rémi Guimon,
  • Bastien Raimondeau,
  • Bastien Raimondeau,
  • Yann Touchefeu,
  • Yann Touchefeu,
  • Emilie Duchalais,
  • Emilie Duchalais,
  • Nicolas Vince,
  • Nicolas Vince,
  • Sophie Limou,
  • Sophie Limou,
  • Pierre-Antoine Gourraud,
  • Pierre-Antoine Gourraud,
  • Pierre-Antoine Gourraud,
  • David A. Laplaud,
  • David A. Laplaud,
  • Arnaud B. Nicot,
  • Arnaud B. Nicot,
  • Jean-Paul Soulillou,
  • Jean-Paul Soulillou,
  • Laureline Berthelot,
  • Laureline Berthelot

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2019.03000
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10

Abstract

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Because of a loss-of-function mutation in the GGTA1 gene, humans are unable to synthetize α1,3-Galactose (Gal) decorated glycans and develop high levels of circulating anti-α1,3-Galactose antibodies (anti-Gal Abs). Anti-Gal Abs have been identified as a major obstacle of organ xenotransplantation and play a role in several host-pathogen relationships including potential susceptibility to infection. Anti-Gal Abs are supposed to stem from immunization against the gut microbiota, an assumption derived from the observation that some pathogens display α1,3-Gal and that antibiotic treatment decreases the level of anti-Gal. However, there is little information to date concerning the microorganisms producing α1,3-Gal in the human gut microbiome. Here, available α1,3-Galactosyltransferase (GT) gene sequences from gut bacteria were selectively quantified for the first time in the gut microbiome shotgun sequences of 163 adult individuals from three published population-based metagenomics analyses. We showed that most of the gut microbiome of adult individuals contained a small set of bacteria bearing α1,3-GT genes. These bacteria belong mainly to the Enterobacteriaceae family, including Escherichia coli, but also to Pasteurellaceae genera, Haemophilus influenza and Lactobacillus species. α1,3-Gal antigens and α1,3-GT activity were detected in healthy stools of individuals exhibiting α1,3-GT bacterial gene sequences in their shotgun data.

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