"NODding to growth: How Lactiplantibacillus plantarum WJL supports mouse juvenile growth during chronic undernutrition"

On Tuesday May 2, 2023 at 1 pm - Institute of Parasitology II, board room, 2nd floor

Dr. Martin Schwarzer (Ph.D.) received his Ph.D. in Immunology from the Charles University in 2013. He joined as a postdoctoral fellow Dr. Leulier’s Functional genomics of host/intestinal bacteria interactions group at the IGFL - Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, France. He contributed to investigate more the role of the function of intestinal microbiota and specific bacterial strains in the context of juvenile growth during chronic undernutrition and in the context of allergy development using germ-free mouse as a model organism. Since 2018, Martin is heading a scientific research team Integrative Physiology of Gnotobionts in Laboratory of Gnotobionts (IMIC ASCR). His main area of research is how the nutritional environment and intestinal microbial communities together affect mammalian host physiology, specifically in the context of mucosal immune system development and the juvenile growth. The intestinal microbiota is known to influence postnatal growth. We previously found that a strain of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (strain LpWJL) buffers the adverse effects of chronic undernutrition on the growth of juvenile germ-free mice. Here, we report that LpWJL sustains the postnatal growth of malnourished conventional animals and supports both insulin-like growth factor–1 (IGF-1) and insulin production and activity. We have identified cell walls isolated from LpWJL, as well as muramyl dipeptide and mifamurtide, as sufficient cues to stimulate animal growth despite undernutrition. Further, we found that NOD2 is necessary in intestinal epithelial cells for LpWJL-mediated IGF-1 production and for postnatal growth promotion in malnourished conventional animals. These findings indicate that, coupled wi