Anticancer immunotherapy by CTLA-4 blockade relies on the gut microbiota

Antibodies targeting CTLA-4 have been successfully used as cancer immunotherapy. We find that the antitumor effects of CTLA-4 blockade depend on distinct Bacteroides species. In mice and patients, T cell responses specific for B. thetaiotaomicron or B. fragilis were associated with the efficacy of CTLA-4 blockade. Tumors in antibiotic-treated or germ-free mice did not respond to CTLA blockade. This defect was overcome by gavage with B. fragilis, by immunization with B. fragilis polysaccharides, or by adoptive transfer of B. fragilis-specific T cells. Fecal microbial transplantation from humans to mice confirmed that treatment of melanoma patients with antibodies against CTLA-4 favored the outgrowth of B. fragilis with anticancer properties. This study reveals a key role for Bacteroidales in the immunostimulatory effects of CTLA-4 blockade.

The intestinal microbiota modulates the anticancer immune effects of cyclophosphamide

Cyclophosphamide is one of several clinically important cancer drugs whose therapeutic efficacy is due in part to their ability to stimulate antitumor immune responses. Studying mouse models, we demonstrate that cyclophosphamide alters the composition of microbiota in the small intestine and induces the translocation of selected species of Gram-positive bacteria into secondary lymphoid organs. There, these bacteria stimulate the generation of a specific subset of "pathogenic" T helper 17 (pT(H)17) cells and memory T(H)1 immune responses. Tumor-bearing mice that were germ-free or that had been treated with antibiotics to kill Gram-positive bacteria showed a reduction in pT(H)17 responses, and their tumors were resistant to cyclophosphamide. Adoptive transfer of pT(H)17 cells partially restored the antitumor efficacy of cyclophosphamide. These results suggest that the gut microbiota help shape the anticancer immune response.

Lymphoid tissue genesis induced by commensals through NOD1 regulates intestinal homeostasis

Intestinal homeostasis is critical for efficient energy extraction from food and protection from pathogens. Its disruption can lead to an array of severe illnesses with major impacts on public health, such as inflammatory bowel disease characterized by self-destructive intestinal immunity. However, the mechanisms regulating the equilibrium between the large bacterial flora and the immune system remain unclear. Intestinal lymphoid tissues generate flora-reactive IgA-producing B cells, and include Peyer's patches and mesenteric lymph nodes, as well as numerous isolated lymphoid follicles (ILFs). Here we show that peptidoglycan from Gram-negative bacteria is necessary and sufficient to induce the genesis of ILFs in mice through recognition by the NOD1 (nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain containing 1) innate receptor in epithelial cells, and beta-defensin 3- and CCL20-mediated signalling through the chemokine receptor CCR6. Maturation of ILFs into large B-cell clusters requires subsequent detection of bacteria by toll-like receptors. In the absence of ILFs, the composition of the intestinal bacterial community is profoundly altered. Our results demonstrate that intestinal bacterial commensals and the immune system communicate through an innate detection system to generate adaptive lymphoid tissues and maintain intestinal homeostasis.

Resistance Mechanisms to Immune-Checkpoint Blockade in Cancer: Tumor-Intrinsic and -Extrinsic Factors

Inhibition of immune regulatory checkpoints, such as CTLA-4 and the PD-1-PD-L1 axis, is at the forefront of immunotherapy for cancers of various histological types. However, such immunotherapies fail to control neoplasia in a significant proportion of patients. Here, we review how a range of cancer-cell-autonomous cues, tumor-microenvironmental factors, and host-related influences might account for the heterogeneous responses and failures often encountered during therapies using immune-checkpoint blockade. Furthermore, we describe the emerging evidence of how the strong interrelationship between the immune system and the host microbiota can determine responses to cancer therapies, and we introduce a concept by which prior or concomitant modulation of the gut microbiome could optimize therapeutic outcomes upon immune-checkpoint blockade.

Enterococcus hirae and Barnesiella intestinihominis Facilitate Cyclophosphamide-Induced Therapeutic Immunomodulatory Effects

The efficacy of the anti-cancer immunomodulatory agent cyclophosphamide (CTX) relies on intestinal bacteria. How and which relevant bacterial species are involved in tumor immunosurveillance, and their mechanism of action are unclear. Here, we identified two bacterial species, Enterococcus hirae and Barnesiella intestinihominis that are involved during CTX therapy. Whereas E. hirae translocated from the small intestine to secondary lymphoid organs and increased the intratumoral CD8/Treg ratio, B. intestinihominis accumulated in the colon and promoted the infiltration of IFN-γ-producing γδT cells in cancer lesions. The immune sensor, NOD2, limited CTX-induced cancer immunosurveillance and the bioactivity of these microbes. Finally, E. hirae and B. intestinihominis specific-memory Th1 cell immune responses selectively predicted longer progression-free survival in advanced lung and ovarian cancer patients treated with chemo-immunotherapy. Altogether, E. hirae and B. intestinihominis represent valuable "oncomicrobiotics" ameliorating the efficacy of the most common alkylating immunomodulatory compound.

New insights into the WalK/WalR (YycG/YycF) essential signal transduction pathway reveal a major role in controlling cell wall metabolism and biofilm formation in Staphylococcus aureus

The highly conserved WalK/WalR (also known as YycG/YycF) two-component system is specific to low-G+C gram-positive bacteria. While this system is essential for cell viability, both the nature of its regulon and its physiological role have remained mostly uncharacterized. We observed that, unexpectedly, Staphylococcus aureus cell death induced by WalKR depletion was not followed by lysis. We show that WalKR positively controls autolytic activity, in particular that of the two major S. aureus autolysins, AtlA and LytM. By using our previously characterized consensus WalR binding site and carefully reexamining the genome annotations, we identified nine genes potentially belonging to the WalKR regulon that appeared to be involved in S. aureus cell wall degradation. Expression of all of these genes was positively controlled by WalKR levels in the cell, leading to high resistance to Triton X-100-induced lysis when the cells were starved for WalKR. Cells lacking WalKR were also more resistant to lysostaphin-induced lysis, suggesting modifications in cell wall structure. Indeed, lowered levels of WalKR led to a significant decrease in peptidoglycan biosynthesis and turnover and to cell wall modifications, which included increased peptidoglycan cross-linking and glycan chain length. We also demonstrated a direct relationship between WalKR levels and the ability to form biofilms. This is the first example in S. aureus of a regulatory system positively controlling autolysin synthesis and biofilm formation. Taken together, our results now define this signal transduction pathway as a master regulatory system for cell wall metabolism, which we have accordingly renamed WalK/WalR to reflect its true function.

Anti-inflammatory capacity of selected lactobacilli in experimental colitis is driven by NOD2-mediated recognition of a specific peptidoglycan-derived muropeptide

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been linked to a loss of tolerance towards the resident microflora. Therapeutic use of probiotics is known to be strain specific, but precise mechanisms remain unclear. The role of NOD2 signalling and the protective effect of Lactobacillus peptidoglycan (PGN) and derived muropeptides in experimental colitis were evaluated.

METHODS

The anti-inflammatory capacity of lactobacilli and derived bacterial compounds was evaluated using the 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) colitis model. The role of NOD2, MyD88 and interleukin 10 (IL-10) in this protection was studied using Nod2(-/-), MyD88(-/-) and Il10-deficient mice, while induction of regulatory dendritic cells (DCs) was monitored through the expansion of CD103(+) DCs in mesenteric lymph nodes or after adoptive transfer of bone marrow-derived DCs. The development of regulatory T cells was investigated by following the expansion of CD4(+)FoxP3(+) cells. High-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry were used to analyse the PGN structural differences.

RESULTS

The protective capacity of strain Lactobacillus salivarius Ls33 was correlated with a local IL-10 production and was abolished in Nod2-deficient mice. PGN purified from Ls33 rescued mice from colitis in an IL-10-dependent manner and favoured the development of CD103(+) DCs and CD4(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells. In vitro Ls33 PGN induced IL-10-producing DCs able to achieve in vivo protection after adoptive transfer in a NOD2-dependent way. This protection was also correlated with an upregulation of the indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase immunosuppressive pathway. The protective capacity was not obtained with PGN purified from a non-anti-inflammatory strain. Structural analysis of PGNs highlighted in Ls33 the presence of an additional muropeptide, M-tri-Lys. The synthesised ligand protected mice from colitis in a NOD2-dependent but MyD88-independent manner.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicated that PGN and derived muropeptides are active compounds in probiotic functionality and might represent a useful therapeutic strategy in IBD.

Cross-reactivity between tumor MHC class I-restricted antigens and an enterococcal bacteriophage

Intestinal microbiota have been proposed to induce commensal-specific memory T cells that cross-react with tumor-associated antigens. We identified major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-binding epitopes in the tail length tape measure protein (TMP) of a prophage found in the genome of the bacteriophage Enterococcus hirae Mice bearing E. hirae harboring this prophage mounted a TMP-specific H-2K^b-restricted CD8⁺ T lymphocyte response upon immunotherapy with cyclophosphamide or anti-PD-1 antibodies. Administration of bacterial strains engineered to express the TMP epitope improved immunotherapy in mice. In renal and lung cancer patients, the presence of the enterococcal prophage in stools and expression of a TMP-cross-reactive antigen by tumors correlated with long-term benefit of PD-1 blockade therapy. In melanoma patients, T cell clones recognizing naturally processed cancer antigens that are cross-reactive with microbial peptides were detected.

Peptidoglycan sensing by the receptor PGRP-LE in the Drosophila gut induces immune responses to infectious bacteria and tolerance to microbiota

Gut epithelial cells contact both commensal and pathogenic bacteria, and proper responses to these bacteria require a balance of positive and negative regulatory signals. In the Drosophila intestine, peptidoglycan-recognition proteins (PGRPs), including PGRP-LE, play central roles in bacterial recognition and activation of immune responses, including induction of the IMD-NF-κB pathway. We show that bacteria recognition is regionalized in the Drosophila gut with various functional regions requiring different PGRPs. Specifically, peptidoglycan recognition by PGRP-LE in the gut induces NF-κB-dependent responses to infectious bacteria but also immune tolerance to microbiota through upregulation of pirk and PGRP-LB, which negatively regulate IMD pathway activation. Loss of PGRP-LE-mediated detection of bacteria in the gut results in systemic immune activation, which can be rescued by overexpressing PGRP-LB in the gut. Together these data indicate that PGRP-LE functions as a master gut bacterial sensor that induces balanced responses to infectious bacteria and tolerance to microbiota.

Bacterial sensing via neuronal Nod2 regulates appetite and body temperature

Gut bacteria influence brain functions and metabolism. We investigated whether this influence can be mediated by direct sensing of bacterial cell wall components by brain neurons. In mice, we found that bacterial peptidoglycan plays a major role in mediating gut-brain communication via the Nod2 receptor. Peptidoglycan-derived muropeptides reach the brain and alter the activity of a subset of brain neurons that express Nod2. Activation of Nod2 in hypothalamic inhibitory neurons is essential for proper appetite and body temperature control, primarily in females. This study identifies a microbe-sensing mechanism that regulates feeding behavior and host metabolism.

Characterization of Staphylococcus aureus cell wall glycan strands, evidence for a new beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase activity

Using sequential digestion with the glycyl-glycine endopeptidase lysostaphin followed by the pneumococcal N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanine amidase (amidase), the glycan strands of the peptidoglycan of Staphylococcus aureus were purified and analyzed by a combination of reverse-phase-high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry. Reverse-phase-HPLC resolved the glycan strands to a family of major peaks, which represented oligosaccharides composed of repeating disaccharide units (N-acetylglucosamine-[beta-1, 4]-N-acetylmuramic acid) with different degrees of polymerization and terminating with N-acetylmuramic acid residues at the reducing ends. The method allowed separation of strands up to 23-26 disaccharide units with a predominant length between 3 and 10 and an average degree of polymerization of approximately 6. Glycan strands with a higher degree of polymerization (>26 disaccharide units) represented 10-15% of the total UV absorbing glycan material. A unique feature of the staphylococcal glycan strands was the presence of minor satellite peaks that were present throughout the HPLC elution profile eluting either just prior or shortly after the major oligosaccharide peaks. A number of observations including mass spectrometric analysis suggest that the satellites are the products of an N-acetylglucosaminidase activity that differs from the atl gene product and that appears to be involved with modification of the glycan strand structure.

Fine-Tuning Cancer Immunotherapy: Optimizing the Gut Microbiome

The equilibrium linking the intestinal microbiota, the intestinal epithelium, and the host immune system establishes host health and homeostasis, with perturbations of this balance resulting in chronic inflammatory and autoimmune immunopathologies. The mutualistic symbiosis between gut microbiota and host immunity raises the possibility that dysbiosis of the intestinal content also influences the outcome of cancer immunotherapy. Here, we present our recent findings that specific gut-resident bacteria determine the immunotherapeutic responses associated with CTLA-4 checkpoint blockade. This new evidence hints that interindividual differences in the microbiome may account for the significant heterogeneity in therapeutic and immunopathologic responses to immune checkpoint therapies. We discuss how this new understanding could improve the therapeutic coverage of immune checkpoint inhibitors, and potentially limit their immune-mediated toxicity, through the use of adjunctive "oncomicrobiotics" that indirectly promote beneficial immune responses through optimizing the gut microbiome. Cancer Res; 76(16); 4602-7. ©2016 AACR.

Dietary Lactobacillus-Derived Exopolysaccharide Enhances Immune-Checkpoint Blockade Therapy

Microbes and their byproducts have been reported to regulate host health and immune functions. Here we demonstrated that microbial exopolysaccharide produced by Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus OLL1073R-1 (EPS-R1) induced CCR6+ CD8+ T cells of mice and humans. In mice, ingestion of EPS-R1 augmented antitumor effects of anti-CTLA-4 or anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody against CCL20-expressing tumors, in which infiltrating CCR6+ CD8+ T cells were increased and produced IFNγ accompanied by a substantial immune response gene expression signature maintaining T-cell functions. Of note, the antitumor adjuvant effect of EPS-R1 was also observed in germ-free mice. Furthermore, the induction of CCR6 expression was mediated through the phosphorylated structure in EPS-R1 and a lysophosphatidic acid receptor on CD8+ T cells. Overall, we find that dietary EPS-R1 consumption induces CCR6+ CD8+ T cells in Peyer's patches, favoring a tumor microenvironment that augments the therapeutic effect of immune-checkpoint blockade depending on CCL20 production by tumors.

SIGNIFICANCE

Gut microbiota- and probiotic-derived metabolites are attractive agents to augment the efficacy of immunotherapies. Here we demonstrated that dietary consumption of Lactobacillus-derived exopolysaccharide induced CCR6+ CD8+ T cells in Peyer's patches and improved the tumor microenvironment to augment the therapeutic effects of immune-checkpoint blockade against CCL20-producing tumors. See related commentary by Di Luccia and Colonna, p. 1189. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1171.

Lactobacillus paracasei feeding improves immune control of influenza infection in mice

Respiratory tract infections such as flu cause severe morbidity and mortality and are among the leading causes of death in children and adults worldwide. Commensal microbiota is critical for orchestrating tissue homeostasis and immunity in the intestine. Probiotics represent an interesting source of immune modulators and several clinical studies have addressed the potential beneficial effects of probiotics against respiratory infections. Therefore, we have investigated the mechanisms of protection conferred by L. paracasei CNCM I-1518 strain in a mouse model of influenza infection. Notably, local myeloid cells accumulation is generated in the lungs after seven days feeding with L. paracasei prior to viral infection. L. paracasei-fed mice showed reduced susceptibility to the influenza infection, associated with less accumulation of inflammatory cells in the lungs, faster viral clearance and general health improvement. Interestingly, Allobaculum was significantly increased in L. paracasei-fed mice 7 days after influenza infection, even if the gut microbiota composition was not altered overall. L. paracasei-purified peptidoglycan partially recapitulated the protective phenotype observed with the entire bacteria. Collectively, our results demonstrate that oral consumption of L. paracasei CNCM I-1518 modulates lung immunity was associated with an improved control of influenza infection. These results further extend the beneficial role for certain lactobacilli to alleviate the burden of respiratory tract infections.

Escherichia coli-specific CXCL13-producing TFH are associated with clinical efficacy of neoadjuvant PD-1 blockade against muscle-invasive bladder cancer

Biomarkers guiding the neoadjuvant use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICBs) are needed for patients with localized muscle invasive bladder cancers (MIBC). Profiling tumor and blood samples, we found that follicular helper CD4+ T cells (TFH) are among the best therapeutic targets of pembrolizumab correlating with progression-free survival. TFH were associated with tumoral CD8 and PD-L1 expression at baseline, and the induction of tertiary lymphoid structures post-pembrolizumab. Blood central memory TFH accumulated in tumors where they produce CXCL13, a chemokine found in the plasma of responders only. IgG4+CD38+ TFH residing in bladder tissues correlated with clinical benefit. Finally, TFH and IgG directed against urothelium invasive Escherichia coli dictated clinical responses to pembrolizumab in three independent cohorts. The links between tumor infection and success of ICB immunomodulation should be prospectively assessed at a larger scale.

Microbe-mediated intestinal NOD2 stimulation improves linear growth of undernourished infant mice

The intestinal microbiota is known to influence postnatal growth. We previously found that a strain of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (strain LpWJL) buffers the adverse effects of chronic undernutrition on the growth of juvenile germ-free mice. Here, we report that LpWJL sustains the postnatal growth of malnourished conventional animals and supports both insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin production and activity. We have identified cell walls isolated from LpWJL, as well as muramyl dipeptide and mifamurtide, as sufficient cues to stimulate animal growth despite undernutrition. Further, we found that NOD2 is necessary in intestinal epithelial cells for LpWJL-mediated IGF-1 production and for postnatal growth promotion in malnourished conventional animals. These findings indicate that, coupled with renutrition, bacteria cell walls or purified NOD2 ligands have the potential to alleviate stunting.

Enhancing the clinical coverage and anticancer efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade through manipulation of the gut microbiota

Although anticancer therapy with immune checkpoint blockers has seen unprecedented success, it fails to control neoplasia in most patients and often causes immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Our recent research shows the immunostimulatory and antitumor effects of CTLA-4 blockade depend on distinct Bacteroides species of the gut microbiota, signifying novel approaches to improve such immunotherapies.

From array-based hybridization of Helicobacter pylori isolates to the complete genome sequence of an isolate associated with MALT lymphoma

BACKGROUND

Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with several gastro-duodenal inflammatory diseases of various levels of severity. To determine whether certain combinations of genetic markers can be used to predict the clinical source of the infection, we analyzed well documented and geographically homogenous clinical isolates using a comparative genomics approach.

RESULTS

A set of 254 H. pylori genes was used to perform array-based comparative genomic hybridization among 120 French H. pylori strains associated with chronic gastritis (n = 33), duodenal ulcers (n = 27), intestinal metaplasia (n = 17) or gastric extra-nodal marginal zone B-cell MALT lymphoma (n = 43). Hierarchical cluster analyses of the DNA hybridization values allowed us to identify a homogeneous subpopulation of strains that clustered exclusively with cagPAI minus MALT lymphoma isolates. The genome sequence of B38, a representative of this MALT lymphoma strain-cluster, was completed, fully annotated, and compared with the six previously released H. pylori genomes (i.e. J99, 26695, HPAG1, P12, G27 and Shi470). B38 has the smallest H. pylori genome described thus far (1,576,758 base pairs containing 1,528 CDSs); it contains the vacAs2m2 allele and lacks the genes encoding the major virulence factors (absence of cagPAI, babB, babC, sabB, and homB). Comparative genomics led to the identification of very few sequences that are unique to the B38 strain (9 intact CDSs and 7 pseudogenes). Pair-wise genomic synteny comparisons between B38 and the 6 H. pylori sequenced genomes revealed an almost complete co-linearity, never seen before between the genomes of strain Shi470 (a Peruvian isolate) and B38.

CONCLUSION

These isolates are deprived of the main H. pylori virulence factors characterized previously, but are nonetheless associated with gastric neoplasia.

Cellular stress promotes NOD1/2-dependent inflammation via the endogenous metabolite sphingosine-1-phosphate

Cellular stress has been associated with inflammation, yet precise underlying mechanisms remain elusive. In this study, various unrelated stress inducers were employed to screen for sensors linking altered cellular homeostasis and inflammation. We identified the intracellular pattern recognition receptors NOD1/2, which sense bacterial peptidoglycans, as general stress sensors detecting perturbations of cellular homeostasis. NOD1/2 activation upon such perturbations required generation of the endogenous metabolite sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). Unlike peptidoglycan sensing via the leucine-rich repeats domain, cytosolic S1P directly bound to the nucleotide binding domains of NOD1/2, triggering NF-κB activation and inflammatory responses. In sum, we unveiled a hitherto unknown role of NOD1/2 in surveillance of cellular homeostasis through sensing of the cytosolic metabolite S1P. We propose S1P, an endogenous metabolite, as a novel NOD1/2 activator and NOD1/2 as molecular hubs integrating bacterial and metabolic cues.

Selective cleavage of D-Ala-D-Lac by small molecules: re-sensitizing resistant bacteria to vancomycin

Pathogenic enterococci are becoming resistant to currently available antibiotics, including vancomycin, the drug of last resort for Gram-positive infections. Enterococci pose a significant public health threat, not least because of the risk of transferring vancomycin resistance to the ubiquitous Staphylococcus aureus. Vancomycin resistance is manifested by cell wall peptidoglycan precursors with altered termini that cannot bind the antibiotic. Small molecules with well-oriented nucleophile-electrophile assembly and complementary chirality to the peptidoglycan termini were identified as catalytic and selective cleavers of the peptidoglycan precursor depsipeptide. These molecules were tested in combination with vancomycin and were found to re-sensitize vancomycin-resistant bacteria to the antibiotic.

Harnessing the intestinal microbiome for optimal therapeutic immunomodulation

Distinct cytotoxic agents currently used in the oncological armamentarium mediate their clinical benefit by influencing, directly or indirectly, the immune system in such a way that innate and adaptive immunity contributes to the tumoricidal activity. Now, we bring up evidence that both arms of anticancer immunity can be triggered through the intervention of the intestinal microbiota. Alkylating agents, such as cyclophosphamide, set up the stage for enhanced permeability of the small intestine, facilitating the translocation of selected arrays of Gram-positive bacteria against which the host mounts effector pTh17 cells and memory Th1 responses. In addition, gut commensals, through lipopolysaccharide and other bacterial components, switch the tumor microenvironment, in particular the redox equilibrium and the TNF production of intratumoral myeloid cells during therapies with platinum salts or intratumoral TLR9 agonists combined with systemic anti-IL10R Ab respectively. Consequently, antibiotics can compromise the efficacy of certain chemotherapeutic or immunomodulatory regimens.

CCL17 production by dendritic cells is required for NOD1-mediated exacerbation of allergic asthma

RATIONALE

Pattern recognition receptors are attractive targets for vaccine adjuvants, and polymorphisms of the innate receptor NOD1 have been associated with allergic asthma.

OBJECTIVES

To elucidate whether NOD1 agonist may favor allergic asthma in humans through activation of dendritic cells, and to evaluate the mechanisms involved using an in vivo model.

METHODS

NOD1-primed dendritic cells from allergic and nonallergic donors were characterized in vitro on their phenotype, cytokine secretion, and Th2 polarizing ability. The in vivo relevance was examined in experimental allergic asthma, and the mechanisms were assessed using transfer of NOD1-conditioned dendritic cells from wild-type or CCL17-deficient mice.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

NOD1 priming of human dendritic cells promoted a Th2 polarization profile that involved the production of CCL17 and CCL22 in nonallergic subjects but only CCL17 in allergic patients, without requiring allergen costimulation. Moreover, NOD1-primed dendritic cells from allergic donors exhibited enhanced maturation that led to abnormal CCL22 and IL-10 secretion compared with nonallergic donors. In mice, systemic NOD1 ligation exacerbated allergen-induced experimental asthma by amplifying CCL17-mediated Th2 responses in the lung. NOD1-mediated sensitization of purified murine dendritic cells enhanced production of CCL17 and CCL22, but not of thymic stromal lymphopoietin and IL-33, in vitro. Consistently, adoptive transfer of NOD1-conditioned dendritic cells exacerbated the Th2 pulmonary response in a CCL17-dependent manner in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

Data from this study unveil a deleterious role of NOD1 in allergic asthma through direct induction of CCL17 by dendritic cells, arguing for a need to address vaccine formulation safety issues related to allergy.

Microbiota-induced active translocation of peptidoglycan across the intestinal barrier dictates its within-host dissemination

Peptidoglycan, the major structural polymer forming the cell wall of bacteria, is an important mediator of physiological and behavioral effects in mammalian hosts. These effects are frequently linked to its translocation from the intestinal lumen to host tissues. However, the modality and regulation of this translocation across the gut barrier has not been precisely addressed. In this study, we characterized the absorption of peptidoglycan across the intestine and its systemic dissemination. We report that peptidoglycan has a distinct tropism for host organs when absorbed via the gut, most notably by favoring access to the brain. We demonstrate that intestinal translocation of peptidoglycan occurs through a microbiota-induced active process. This process is regulated by the parasympathetic pathway via the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. Together, this study reveals fundamental parameters concerning the uptake of a major microbiota molecular signal from the steady-state gut.

Structural characterization of an abnormally cross-linked muropeptide dimer that is accumulated in the peptidoglycan of methicillin- and cefotaxime-resistant mutants of Staphylococcus aureus

Laboratory mutants of Staphylococcus aureus strain ATCC 8325 (27S) selected for increased minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values to methicillin and cefotaxime showed increased rates of cell wall turnover and detergent-induced autolysis in virtual parallel with the increasing MIC for the antibiotic. Also in parallel with the increasing MICs for the particular antibiotic used in the selection was the gradual accumulation of an unusual muropeptide in the peptidoglycan of the mutants, muropeptide 12, which is a minor component of the cell wall of the parental strain. Analysis of muropeptide 12, its peptide derivative, and its lysostaphin degradation products by high pressure liquid chromatography, Edman degradation, and mass spectrometry suggests that muropeptide 12 is a dimer in which the two monomeric components are interlinked by two pentaglycyl cross-bridges, thus generating a 14-member macrocyclic ring structure. This unusual cross-linked structure may be the product of the abnormal activity of penicillin-binding protein 2 which has grossly reduced antibiotic binding capacity in the mutant staphylococci.