Mice colonized with the defined microbial community OMM19.1 are susceptible to Clostridioides difficile infection without prior antibiotic treatment.

Abstract

Diverse gut microorganisms present in humans and mice are essential for the prevention of microbial pathogen colonization. However, antibiotic-induced dysbiosis of the gut microbiome reduces microbial diversity and allows Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) to colonize the intestine. The Oligo-Mouse-Microbiota 19.1 (OMM19.1) is a synthetic community that consists of bacteria that are taxonomically and functionally designed to mimic the specific pathogen-free mouse gut microbiota. Here, we examined the susceptibility of OMM19.1 colonized mice to C. difficile infection (CDI) at a range of infectious doses (10³, 10⁵, and 10⁷ spores) without prior antibiotic treatment. We found that mice colonized with OMM19.1 were susceptible to CDI regardless of the dose. The clinical scores increased with increasing C. difficile dosage. Infection with C. difficile was correlated with a significant increase in Ligilactobacillus murinus and Escherichia coli, while the relative abundance of Bacteroides caecimuris, Akkermansia muciniphila, Extibacter muris, and Turicimonas muris was significantly decreased following CDI. Our results demonstrate that the OMM19.1 community requires additional bacteria to enable C. difficile colonization resistance.IMPORTANCEThe human gut microbiota consists of a wide range of microorganisms whose composition and function vary according to their location and have a significant impact on health and disease. The ability to generate and test the defined microbiota within gnotobiotic animal models is essential for determining the mechanisms responsible for colonization resistance. The exact mechanism(s) by which healthy microbiota prevents Clostridioides difficile infection is unknown, although competition for nutrients, active antagonism, production of inhibitory metabolites (such as secondary bile acids), and microbial manipulation of the immune system are all thought to play a role. Here, we colonized germ-free C57BL/6 mice with a synthetic bacterial community (OMM19.1) that mimics the specific pathogen-free mouse microbiota. Following breeding, to enable immune system development, F1 mice were infected with three different doses of C. difficile. Our research suggests that there are additional essential microbial functions that are absent from the current OMM19.1 model.