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Human gut bacteria, Bacteroides, use surface lipoproteins to capture vitamin B12. This protein, BtuG, efficiently binds and sequesters B12, impacting nutrient competition in the gut microbiome.

Keywords:
corrinoidgutinfectious diseaseintrinsic factorlipoproteinmicrobiologymicrobiomevitamin B12

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Human Gut Microbiome
  • Nutrient Transport

Background:

  • Commensal bacteria like Bacteroides in the human gut rely on surface lipoproteins for nutrient acquisition, primarily complex polysaccharides.
  • The mechanisms by which these bacteria compete for essential vitamins, such as vitamin B12 (cobalamin), remain largely uncharacterized.
  • Transport systems for cobalamin in Bacteroides contain unannotated genes, suggesting novel functions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the function of unknown proteins within vitamin B12 transport loci in the human gut bacterium Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron.
  • To determine the role of the surface-exposed lipoprotein BtuG in cobalamin acquisition by B. thetaiotaomicron.
  • To understand how Bacteroides compete for essential vitamins with the host and other microbes.

Main Methods:

  • Genetic analysis of B. thetaiotaomicron transport loci.
  • Biochemical characterization of the BtuG protein, including binding affinity assays.
  • Investigation of BtuG's interaction with human intrinsic factor and vitamin B12.

Main Results:

  • BtuG was identified as a surface-exposed lipoprotein crucial for efficient vitamin B12 transport in B. thetaiotaomicron.
  • BtuG exhibits extremely high-affinity binding for vitamin B12 (femtomolar range).
  • BtuG can effectively remove vitamin B12 from human intrinsic factor, a key host transport protein.

Conclusions:

  • Bacteroides utilize surface-exposed lipoproteins not only for polysaccharide metabolism but also for acquiring essential vitamins like B12.
  • BtuG represents a novel mechanism for bacterial vitamin B12 scavenging, potentially impacting host-microbe nutrient dynamics.
  • This finding highlights the sophisticated strategies employed by gut commensals to secure vital nutrients in a competitive environment.