Impact of intestinal bacteria on the anatomy and physiology of the intestinal tract in the PRM/Alf mouse model

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Partly in conjunction with dietary components, intestinal bacteria have a profound impact on host physiology but the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. The PRM/Alf mouse offers the unique opportunity to gain new insights into these mechanisms. PRM/Alf mice develop a gut that is one third longer than of control strains. A comparison of germfree and conventional PRM/Alf mice indicated a role of the intestinal microbiota in this elongation. To identify the bacterial factors involved, our French project partners will colonize germfree PRM/Alf mice with a complex mouse microbiota and with a consortium of seven known bacterial species provided by our group. Gene and protein expression in the intestinal epithelium of these mice will be analyzed to explore the host response to gut bacteria. We will analyze caecal contents of PRM/Alf and control mice associated with different bacterial communities for bacterially produced trophic factors such as polyamines and short chain fatty acids that possibly contribute to gut elongation. In addition, caecal contents and cytosolic fractions of bacterial cells will be searched for differentially expressed bacterial proteins that play a role in gut lengthening. The expected results will provide new insights in the way intestinal bacteria influence the anatomy and physiology of the host.