Crohn's disease-associated Escherichia coli LF82 in the gut damage of germ-free honeybees: A laboratory study

Escherichia coli LF82 (LF82) is associated with Crohn's disease. The simplicity and genetic maneuverability of honeybees' gut microbiota make them suitable for studying host-microbe interactions. To understand the interaction between LF82 and host gut, LF82 was used to infect germ-free honeybees (Apis mellifera) orally. We found that LF82 successfully colonized the gut and shortened the lifespan of germ-free bees. LF82 altered the gut structure and significantly increased gut permeability. RT–qPCR showed that LF82 infection activated anti-infective immune pathways and upregulated the mRNAs levels of antimicrobial peptides in the gut of germ-free bees. The gut transcriptome showed that LF82 significantly upregulated genes involved in Notch signaling, adhesion junctions, and Toll and Imd signaling pathways and downregulated genes involved in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathway, protein digestion and absorption, and tyrosine metabolism. In conclusion, the human-derived enteropathogenic bacterium LF82 can successfully colonize the gut of germ-free honeybees and cause enteritis-like changes, which provides an ideal model organism for revealing the pathogenesis of bacterial-associated diseases.