Gnotobiotics
The gnotobiotic mouse facility (established as part of Prof Reinhardt's Gutenberg Research College Fellowship) enables the identification and research of microbiota-host interactions. While sequencing analyses only lead to associative statements, gnotobiotic mouse models (germ-free housing conditions) allow causal statements to be made about the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which individual bacterial species or model microbiomes influence the physiology of the host. For example, the microbiome has a lasting influence on the development of the immune system and is also associated with the development of cardiovascular, metabolic and thrombotic diseases.
Utilized tools:
- Maintenance of germ-free mouse lines
- Monoconisation with individual bacterial species
- Colonisation of germ-free mice with minimal microbial consortia
Isolators for the storage and handling of germ-free mouse lines
Projects utilizing these tools
- Fellowship of the Gutenberg Forschungskollegs
- BMBF Clusters for Future 'CurATime', Project microbAIome - Wirt-Mikrobiom-Interaktionen bei Atherothrombose
- DFG Research Unit 5644 INFINITE (RE 3450/15-1)
- German Centers for Health Research (DZG) Innovation Fund „Microbiome“
- Germen Center for Cardiovascular Health (DZHK), Promotion of Women Scientists Project
- Wilhelm Sander-Stiftung (Projekt Nr. 2022.131.1)
- ReALity Project MORE (Research Initiative Rhineland-Palatinate)
- Potentialbereich EXPOHEALTH of the University Medical Center Mainz
Scientific Platform Coordinator
References
- Dremova O, Mimmler M, Paeslack N, Khuu MP, Gao Z, Bosmann M, Garo LP, Schön N, Mechler A, Beneich Y, Rebling V, Mann A, Pontarollo G, Kiouptsi K, Reinhardt C. Sterility testing of germ-free mouse colonies. Front Immunol. 2023 Nov 7;14:1275109
- Kiouptsi K, Pontarollo G, Reinhardt C. Gut Microbiota and the Microvasculature. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2023 Aug 1;13(8):a041179.
- Pontarollo G, Kollar B, Mann A, Khuu MP, Kiouptsi K, Bayer F, Brandão I, Zinina VV, Hahlbrock J, Malinarich F, Mimmler M, Bhushan S, Marini F, Ruf W, Belheouane M, Baines JF, Endres K, Reba SM, Raker VK, Deppermann C, Welsch C, Bosmann M, Soshnikova N, Chassaing B, Bergentall M, Sommer F, Bäckhed F, Reinhardt C. Commensal bacteria weaken the intestinal barrier by suppressing epithelial neuropilin-1 and Hedgehog signaling. Nat Metab. 2023 Jul;5(7):1174-1187
- Moos S, Regen T, Wanke F, Tian Y, Arendholz LT, Hauptmann J, Heinen AP, Bleul L, Bier K, El Malki K, Reinhardt C, Prinz I, Diefenbach A, Wolz C, Schittek B, Waisman A, Kurschus FC. IL-17 Signaling in Keratinocytes Orchestrates the Defense against Staphylococcus aureus Skin Infection. J Invest Dermatol. 2023 Jul;143(7):1257-1267.e10
- Paeslack N, Mimmler M, Becker S, Gao Z, Khuu MP, Mann A, Malinarich F, Regen T, Reinhardt C. Microbiota-derived tryptophan metabolites in vascular inflammation and cardiovascular disease. Amino Acids. 2022 Oct;54(10):1339-1356.
- Stamm P, Kalinovic S, Oelze M, Steven S, Czarnowski A, Kvandova M, Bayer F, Reinhardt C, Münzel T, Daiber A. Mechanistic Insights into Inorganic Nitrite-Mediated Vasodilation of Isolated Aortic Rings under Oxidative/Hypertensive Conditions and S-Nitros(yl)ation of Proteins in Germ-Free Mice. Biomedicines. 2022 Mar 21;10(3):730.
- Formes H, Bernardes JP, Mann A, Bayer F, Pontarollo G, Kiouptsi K, Schäfer K, Attig S, Nikolova T, Hofmann TG, Schattenberg JM, Todorov H, Gerber S, Rosenstiel P, Bopp T, Sommer F, Reinhardt C. The gut microbiota instructs the hepatic endothelial cell transcriptome. iScience. 2021 Sep 10;24(10):103092
- Bayer F, Ascher S, Kiouptsi K, Kittner JM, Stauber RH, Reinhardt C. 2021. Colonization with Altered Schaedler Flora impacts leukocyte adhesion in mesenteric ischemia-reperfusion injury. Microorganisms. 2021 Jul 27;9(8):1601.
- Guilherme MDS, Nguyen VTT, Reinhardt C, Endres K. Impact of Gut Microbiome Manipulation in 5xFAD Mice on Alzheimer's Disease-Like Pathology. Microorganisms. 2021 Apr 13;9(4):815.
- Ballesteros I, Rubio-Ponce A, Genua M, Lusito E, Kwok I, Fernández-Calvo G, Khoyratty TE, van Grinsven E, González-Hernández S, Nicolás-Ávila JÁ, Vicanolo T, Maccataio A, Benguría A, Li JL, Adrover JM, Aroca-Crevillen A, Quintana JA, Martín-Salamanca S, Mayo F, Ascher S, Barbiera G, Soehnlein O, Gunzer M, Ginhoux F, Sánchez-Cabo F, Nistal-Villán E, Schulz C, Dopazo A, Reinhardt C, Udalova IA, Ng LG, Ostuni R, Hidalgo A. Co-option of Neutrophil Fates by Tissue Environments. Cell. 2020 Nov 25;183(5):1282-1297.e18.
- Kiouptsi K, Pontarollo G, Todorov H, Braun J, Jäckel S, Koeck T, Bayer F, Karwot C, Karpi A, Gerber S, Jansen Y, Wild P, Ruf W, Daiber A, Van Der Vorst E, Weber C, Döring Y, Reinhardt C. Germ-free housing conditions do not affect aortic root and aortic arch lesion size of late atherosclerotic low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient mice. Gut Microbes. 2020 Nov 1;11(6):1809-1823.
- Ascher S, Wilms E, Pontarollo G, Formes H, Bayer F, Müller M, Malinarich F, Grill A, Bosmann M, Saffarzadeh M, Brandão I, Groß K, Kiouptsi K, Kittner JM, Lackner KJ, Jurk K, Reinhardt C. Gut Microbiota Restricts NETosis in Acute Mesenteric Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2020 Sep;40(9):2279-2292.