Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
Volume 17, Issue 11, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/ijms17111854
Keywords
atomic force microscopy; single molecule force spectroscopy; intestinal mucin; mucus binding protein; bacterial adhesins; gut microbiota; Lactobacillus reuteri
Funding
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
- BBSRC Institute Strategic Programme: The Gut Health and Food Safety ISP [BB/J004529/1]
- BBSRC [BB/K019554/1]
- BBSRC [BB/K019554/1, BBS/E/F/00044452] Funding Source: UKRI
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The mucus layer covering the gastrointestinal (GI) epithelium is critical in selecting and maintaining homeostatic interactions with our gut bacteria. However, the molecular details of these interactions are not well understood. Here, we provide mechanistic insights into the adhesion properties of the canonical mucus-binding protein (MUB), a large multi-repeat cell-surface adhesin found in Lactobacillus inhabiting the GI tract. We used atomic force microscopy to unravel the mechanism driving MUB-mediated adhesion to mucins. Using single-molecule force spectroscopy we showed that MUB displayed remarkable adhesive properties favouring a nanospring-like adhesion model between MUB and mucin mediated by unfolding of the multiple repeats constituting the adhesin. We obtained direct evidence for MUB self-interaction; MUB-MUB followed a similar binding pattern, confirming that MUB modular structure mediated such mechanism. This was in marked contrast with the mucin adhesion behaviour presented by Galectin-3 (Gal-3), a mammalian lectin characterised by a single carbohydrate binding domain (CRD). The binding mechanisms reported here perfectly match the particular structural organization of MUB, which maximizes interactions with the mucin glycan receptors through its long and linear multi-repeat structure, potentiating the retention of bacteria within the outer mucus layer.
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