Bacterial microcompartment utilization in the human commensal Nissle 1917.

UNLABELLED

Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are self-assembled protein structures often utilized by bacteria as a modular metabolic unit, enabling the catalysis and utilization of less common carbon and nitrogen sources within a self-contained compartment. The BMC has been widely demonstrated in enteropathogens, such as , and current research is exploring its activity in the commensal species that populate the human gut. Nissle 1917 (EcN) is a strong colonizer and probiotic in gut microbial communities and has been used extensively for microbiome engineering. In this study, the utilization of ethanolamine as a sole carbon source and the formation of the BMC in EcN were demonstrated through growth assays and visualization with transmission electron microscopy. Subsequently, flux balance analysis was used to further investigate the metabolic activity of this pathway. It was found that not only is the utilization of the BMC for the degradation of EA as a carbon source in EcN comparable with that of but also that ammonium is released into solution as a byproduct in EcN but not in . Control of EA-dependent growth was demonstrated using different concentrations of the operon inducer, vitamin B. We show that vitamin B-dependent EA utilization as the sole carbon source enables growth in EcN, and demonstrate the concurrent formation of the BMC shell and inducible control of the operon.

IMPORTANCE

The human gut is a complex environment of different bacterial species, nutrient sources, and changing conditions that are essential for human health. An imbalance can allow for the emergence of opportunistic pathogens. Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are utilized by bacteria to metabolize less common nutrients, conferring a growth advantage. Although widely studied in enteropathogens, there is limited research on BMC activity in commensal species. We demonstrate the formation of the eut BMC and utilization of ethanolamine as a carbon source in the human gut commensal Nissle 1917 (EcN). Additionally, we found increased ammonium production when EcN utilized ethanolamine but did not see the same in , highlighting potential differences in how these species affect the wider microbial community.