Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026
08:29
Using Coculture to Detect Chemically Mediated Interspecies Interactions
Published on: October 31, 2013
13.6K
Label-Free Monitoring of Coculture System Dynamics: Probing Probiotic and Cancer Cell Interactions via Infrared
Yoon Jeong1,2,3, Pei-Hsuan Hsieh1,4, Yamuna Phal5,6
1Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.
Analytical Chemistry
|June 28, 2024
Summary
This study introduces a novel hydrogel platform using infrared spectroscopy to observe microbe-host interactions. It reveals how probiotic bacteria like Lactococcus lactis affect human kidney cancer cells, offering insights into cellular dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Microbiology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Assessing microbe-host cell interactions requires advanced platforms for coculture studies.
- Probiotic bacteria, such as Lactococcus lactis, can influence mammalian cell behavior, including apoptosis induction via secreted molecules like nisin.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a label-free infrared spectroscopic imaging platform for dynamic microbe-host cell interaction analysis.
- To investigate the biochemical and cellular responses of A498 human kidney cancer cells cocultured with probiotic bacteria.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a hydrogel-based compartment system for controlled coculture of bacteria (Lactococcus lactis, Escherichia coli) and A498 kidney cancer cells.
- Employed mid-infrared (IR) spectroscopic imaging for label-free characterization of biochemical composition (nucleic acids, proteins, lipids).
- Applied multivariate regression modeling to correlate spectral features with cellular dynamics and nisin's effect on cancer cells.
Main Results:
- Successfully monitored biochemical variations in A498 cells during coculture with bacteria using IR spectroscopy.
- Identified key spectral features (unsaturated fatty acids, protein β-turns, nucleic acids) predictive of cellular response.
- Quantified the impact of nisin secreted by L. lactis on A498 kidney cancer cells.
Conclusions:
- Infrared spectroscopic imaging is a powerful label-free tool for studying complex microbe-host interactions.
- The developed platform enables mechanistic investigations into interspecies physiological processes.
- This approach provides valuable insights into the effects of probiotics on cancer cells.
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