It is about the possible route for the absorption of folic acid in human without any effect.

1. A bacterial route for folic acid
supplementation

2. Objective
 possible bacterial route for folic acid uptake.
 safety reviews of folic acid supplementation and its interactions
with gut bacteria.

3. Background
 one-carbon metabolism
 Folates composition:
 PABA
 pterin ring
 chain of one or more glutamates

4. Continue….
 Folates in human
 Folate deficiency neural tube defects.
 Potential interactions with gut bacteria.
 Inhibiting Escherichia coli folate biosynthesis
 treatment with drug sulfamethoxazole (SMX)
 mutation of the PABA synthesis pathway
(e.g., a pab A mutant)

5. Continue….
 sufficient folate available to support normal growth of both
organisms.
 Developed a C. elegans folate deficiency model, a mutant in gcp-2.1
and homologue of human GCPII( polyglutamated folates).
 C. elegans gcp-2.1 grow on SMX-treated E. coli.
 worms show delayed development and infertility.

6. Continue….
 External media, microbe and animal can be carefully controlled.
 E. coli represents an Important alternative route
 bacterial toxicity.

7. Methods
E. coli preparation and growth assay
diluted with
M9 in a cuvette
A
spectrophotometer
was used to read
bacterial growth
Bacterial growth
was calculated
by multiplying
OD600
homogenized
solution.
overnight LB
culture of E. coli
was transferred into
DM.
• ΔabgT ΔpabA …….P1 transduction
• abgT over-expression plasmid (pJ128) were transformed into
appropriate strains.

8. C. elegans strains used
 SS104 glp-4(bn2)
 UF208 (WT)
 UF209 gc
 p-2.1(ok1004)

9. Results
E. coli is required for folic acid supplementation
to prevent a C. elegans folate deficiency

11. Folic acid supports growth of E. coli pabA mutants via
abgT-dependent uptake of PABA-glu

12. Folic acid shortens C. elegans lifespan via AbgT
dependent uptake of PABA-glu

13. Discussion
 major route
 FOLT-1 in C.elegan
 PCFT in small intestine of humans
 E. coli PABA-glu transporter(AbgT).
 Bacterial gene, and its level of expression both
influence route for folic acid.

14. Continue….
 Bacterial route for folic acid in humans
 Only study to report PABA &PABA_glu
 Reported issues about stability and dissolution
 PABA as human faecal excretory product.
 studies in rodents and piglets infusion of labelled PABA into
the cecum
 Route exist in humans but undetermined importance of route

15. Continue….
 The bacterial route increases bioavailability.
 bacterial activity/toxicity
 several diseases, such as:
 inflammatory bowel disease
 small intestinal bacterial overgrowth
 abgT gene in enteric pathogens including :
 Enterobacter cloacae
 Salmonella enterica
 Staphylococcus aureus

16. THANK YOU

17. REFERENCE
 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-018-0534-3