Vitamin B₁₂ produced by Cetobacterium somerae improves host resistance against pathogen infection through...

Pathogen infections seriously affect host health, and the use of antibiotics increases the risk of the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria and also increases environmental and health safety risks. Probiotics have received much attention for their excellent ability to prevent pathogen infections. Particularly, explaining mechanism of action of probiotics against pathogen infections is important for more efficient and rational use of probiotics and the maintenance of host health.

Here, we describe the impacts of probiotic on host resistance to pathogen infections. Our findings revealed that (I) the protective effect of oral supplementation with B. velezensis against Aeromonas hydrophila infection was dependent on gut microbiota, specially the anaerobic indigenous gut microbe Cetobacterium; (II) Cetobacterium was a sensor of health, especially for fish infected with pathogenic bacteria; (III) the genome resolved the ability of Cetobacterium somerae CS2105-BJ to synthesize vitamin B₁₂ de novo, while in vivo and in vitro metabolism assays also showed the ability of Cetobacterium somerae CS2105-BJ to produce vitamin B₁₂; (IV) the addition of vitamin B₁₂ significantly altered the gut redox status and the gut microbiome structure and function, and then improved the stability of the gut microbial ecological network, and enhanced the gut barrier tight junctions to prevent the pathogen infection.

Collectively, this study found that the effect of probiotics in enhancing host resistance to pathogen infections depended on function of B₁₂ produced by an anaerobic indigenous gut microbe, Cetobacterium. Furthermore, as a gut microbial regulator, B₁₂ exhibited the ability to strengthen the interactions within gut microbiota and gut barrier tight junctions, thereby improving host resistance against pathogen infection. Video Abstract.