Bioscience and Microflora
Online ISSN : 1349-8355
Print ISSN : 1342-1441
ISSN-L : 1342-1441
Volume 27, Issue 2
Displaying 1-2 of 2 articles from this issue
Review
  • Dirk Haller
    Article type: Review
    2008 Volume 27 Issue 2 Pages 37-48
    Published: 2008
    Released on J-STAGE: May 08, 2008
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    In the last few years, advances in immunology and the analysis of the gut microbial ecology have shown that the contribution of the intestinal microbiota to the overall health status of the host has been so far underestimated. In this context, intestinal epithelial cells play a crucial role in the maintenance of intestinal homoeostasis. Indeed, at the interface between the luminal content and host tissues, the intestinal epithelium must integrate pro- and anti-inflammatory signals to regulate innate and adaptative immune responses, i.e., to control inflammation. Specifically, the regulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress responses in the epithelium is a novel aspect for the pathogenesis of chronic intestinal inflammation. Thus, under the influence of environmental factors, disturbance of the dialog between enteric bacteria and epithelial cells contributes to the development of chronic inflammation in genetically susceptible hosts.
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Full Paper
  • Takahiro Maegawa, Yosuke Nishitani, Ro Osawa
    Article type: Full Paper
    2008 Volume 27 Issue 2 Pages 49-56
    Published: 2008
    Released on J-STAGE: May 08, 2008
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    The polymorphism of a length of DNA including several genes encoding putative mucosal glycoprotein binding fimbriae-associated proteins (the putative fimbriae region) of Bifidobacterium longum was investigated with specific reference to its host specific colonization. PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assays were performed on 44 clonally different strains that had been isolated from fecal samples collected from 12 Japanese subjects over a 15-month period. The assays revealed that the putative fimbriae region is highly heterogeneous, with only a limited number of strains sharing the same RFLP fragment pattern. However, fragment patterns observed for the adjacent up- and down-stream DNA regions not associated with the fimbriae shared the same fragment patterns in many strains, further highlighting the polymorphic nature of the putative fimbriae region. A dendrogram created of the fragment patterns of the putative fimbriae region showed 5 genotypes at the 70% similarity level, and 4 of the genotypes were further subdivided at the 80% similarity level into 9 sub-genotypes, in which at least half of the strains isolated from each host belonged to the same sub-genotype. The evidence suggests that fimbriae of B. longum are closely associated with the host-specific intestinal colonization. If this is the case, probiotic use of B. longum strains indigenous to the host may be more effective for the promotion and maintenance of that individual's health.
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