Does Lactobacillus reuteri influence ergothioneine levels in the human body?

Abstract

The dietary thione‐thiol, ergothioneine (ET), accumulates in human and animal tissues and may play important roles in disease prevention. ET biosynthesis has only been described in fungi and certain bacteria, and humans and animals are widely assumed to accumulate ET solely from diet. However, a recent study suggested that Lactobacillus/Limosilactobacillus reuteri, a commensal gut bacterium, may produce ET, thereby protecting the host against social defeat stress and sleep disturbances. Upon our further investigation, no evidence of ET biosynthesis was observed in L. reuteri when a heavy‐labelled histidine precursor was administered. Instead, we discovered that L. reuteri avidly accumulates ET. This observation may indicate a possible mechanism by which the gut microbiota could influence tissue levels of ET in the host.

Discovery and structure of a widespread bacterial ABC transporter specific for ergothioneine

“…A comparative sequence analysis suggests that EgtU is broadly distributed among Firmicutes known to colonize the vertebrate gastrointestinal (GI) tract, including commensals and pathogens, as well as pathogens known to infect other tissues but also capable of replicating in immune cells. Indeed, a recent report shows that the gut commensal bacterium, Lactobacillus reuteri, takes up extracellular ET, although the mechanism of uptake was not defined in that study 61 . It is well established that commensals resist colonization by pathogens in the gut by depleting essential nutrients and remodeling resource allocation in this niche 62 .…”

Discovery and structure of a widespread bacterial ABC transporter specific for ergothioneine

“…A comparative sequence analysis suggests that EgtU is widely distributed among firmicutes known to colonize the vertebrate gastrointestinal (GI) tract, including commensals and pathogens, as well other pathogens known to infect other tissues but also capable of replicating in immune cells. Indeed, a recent report shows that the gut commensal bacterium, Lactobacillus reuteri , readily takes up extracellular ET, although the mechanism of uptake was not defined in that study 77 . It is well established that commensals resist colonization by pathogens in the gut by depleting essential nutrients and remodeling resource allocation in this niche 78 ; the work reported here raises the strong possibility of a competition between commensal and pathogen for a nutrient that may well be protective against oxidative and antibiotic stressors.…”

Ergothioneine, where are we now?

“…Possible reasons could include alterations in diet due to illness so that less ET is consumed, and/or decreases in ETT activity in the gut (leading to less ET uptake) or kidney (impairing ET reabsorption) with age and disease. Changes in gut microbiota might also influence uptake and accumulation in the body, as discussed in this special issue [10]. Indeed, changes in gut microbiota have been associated with a growing number of disorders; however, further work is still needed to explore the association between gut microbiota and ET uptake.…”

“…doi:10.1002/1873-3468.14350 reabsorption) with age and disease. Changes in gut microbiota might also influence uptake and accumulation in the body, as discussed in this special issue [10]. Indeed, changes in gut microbiota have been associated with a growing number of disorders; however, further work is still needed to explore the association between gut microbiota and ET uptake.…”

“…Its biosynthetic pathways are reviewed in detail in [6]. Indeed, as far as we know, humans and other animals obtain all their ET from the diet [4,5,[7][8][9][10], whereas plants seem to obtain it from fungi and other soil microorganisms [9].…”