Engineered probiotics platform for resolvin E1 biosynthesis confers protection against inflammatory disease

The resolution of inflammation is actively driven by omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) via their specialized pro-resolving mediator (SPM) derivatives, including resolvin E1 (RvE1), whose role has been well established. However, clinical application of these mediators is hampered by inherent instability and elevated production costs.

To surmount these obstacles, we have engineered a biosynthetic platform based on the probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) that enables controlled, sustained RvE1 production through inducible expression of COX2 and 5-LOX, designated EcN-RvE1. The catalytic capacity, intestinal persistence, and therapeutic efficacy of the platform were evaluated in vitro and in LPS-induced acute inflammation and DSS-induced colitis murine models.

In this study, we validate the capacity of EcN-RvE1 to catalyse the conversion of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) to RvE1 and confirm its ability to achieve long-term intestinal persistence. In murine models of acute inflammation and colitis, EcN-RvE1 exerts marked anti-inflammatory and tissue-protective effects, which are mediated by the regulation of inflammatory cytokine expression and the amelioration of gut microbiota dysbiosis. Moreover, EcN-RvE1 using Euglena gracilis as a photosynthetic protist-based source of PUFAs also exhibits protective anti-inflammatory activity.

Collectively, we report a probiotic engineering platform for the biosynthesis of RvE1, offering a novel strategy for harnessing the anti-inflammatory potential of PUFAs derivatives in clinical settings.