AUTHOR=Zhou Cong , Zhang Yuanyuan , Bassey Anthony , Huang Jie , Zou Yafang , Ye Keping 

TITLE=Expansion of Intestinal Secretory Cell Population Induced by Listeria monocytogenes Infection: Accompanied With the Inhibition of NOTCH Pathway

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2022.793335

DOI=10.3389/fcimb.2022.793335

ISSN=2235-2988

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Listeria monocytogenes</italic>, as a model organism, is a causative agent of enteric pathogen that causes systemic infection. However, the interaction of <italic>L. monocytogenes</italic> and small intestinal epithelium has not been fully elucidated yet. In this study, mice and intestinal organoids were chosen as the models to investigate the influence of <italic>L. monocytogenes</italic> infection on the intestinal secretory cells and its differentiation-related pathways. Results confirmed the phenomenon of intestinal damage that <italic>L. monocytogenes</italic> infection could lead to villi damage in mice, which was accompanied by the increase of TNF-α production in jejunum as well as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) secretion in serum. Moreover, it was demonstrated that <italic>L. monocytogenes</italic> infection increased the number of goblet and Paneth cells in mice and intestinal organoids and upregulated the expression of <italic>Muc2</italic> and <italic>Lyz</italic>. Furthermore, <italic>L. monocytogenes</italic> decreased the relative expression of Notch pathway-related genes (<italic>Jag1</italic>, <italic>Dll4</italic>, <italic>Notch1</italic>, and <italic>Hes1</italic>) while upregulating the relative expression of <italic>Math1</italic> gene in mice and intestinal organoids. This indicated that <italic>L. monocytogenes</italic> infection caused the inhibition of Notch pathway, which may be the reason for the increased number of goblet and Paneth cells in the intestine. Collectively, these results are expected to provide more information on the mechanism of <italic>L. monocytogene</italic>s infection in the intestine.</p>