Scano Alessandra, Fais Sara, Ciappina Giuliana, Genovese Martina, Granata Barbara, Montopoli Monica, Consolo Pierluigi, Carroccio Patrizia, Muscolino Paola, Ottaiano Alessandro, Bignucolo Alessia, Picone Antonio, Toscano Enrica, Orrù Germano, Berretta Massimiliano
Oral Biotechnology Laboratory (OBL), Department of Surgical Science, University of Cagliari, 09124 Cagliari, Italy.
Molecular Biology Laboratory, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Cagliari (AOU), 09124 Cagliari, Italy.
Antioxidants (Basel). 2025 Mar 7;14(3):323. doi: 10.3390/antiox14030323.
is a pathobiont that plays a dual role as both a commensal and a pathogen. The oral cavity typically harbors this anaerobic, Gram-negative bacterium. At the same time, it is closely linked to colorectal cancer due to its potential involvement in tumor progression and resistance to chemotherapy. The mechanism by which it transforms from a commensal to a pathogen remains unknown. For this reason, we investigated the role of oxidative status as an initiatory factor in changing the bacterium's pathogenicity profile.
A clinical strain of subsp. biofilm was exposed to different oxidative stress levels through varying subinhibitory amounts of HO. Subsequently, we investigated the bacterium's behavior in vitro by infecting the HT-29 cell line. We evaluated bacterial colonization, volatile sulfur compounds production, and the infected cell's oxidative status by analyzing , , and gene expression.
The bacterial colonization rate, dimethyl sulfide production, and levels all increased when stressed bacteria were used, suggesting a predominant pathogenic function of these strains.
The response of to different oxidative conditions could potentially explain the increase in its pathogenic traits and the existence of environmental factors that may trigger the bacterium's pathogenicity and virulence.
是一种病理共生菌，兼具共生菌和病原菌的双重作用。口腔通常是这种厌氧革兰氏阴性菌的栖息地。同时，由于其可能参与肿瘤进展和化疗耐药，它与结直肠癌密切相关。其从共生菌转变为病原菌的机制尚不清楚。因此，我们研究了氧化状态作为改变该菌致病性特征的起始因素的作用。
通过不同亚抑制量的HO使亚种生物膜的临床菌株暴露于不同的氧化应激水平。随后，我们通过感染HT-29细胞系来研究该菌在体外的行为。我们通过分析、和基因表达来评估细菌定植、挥发性硫化合物产生以及被感染细胞的氧化状态。
当使用应激细菌时，细菌定植率、二甲基硫产生量和水平均增加，表明这些菌株具有主要的致病功能。
对不同氧化条件的反应可能潜在地解释了其致病特征的增加以及可能触发该菌致病性和毒力的环境因素的存在。
