The level and distribution of methyl-esters influence the impact of pectin on intestinal T cells, microbiota, and Ahr activation

M Beukema; É Jermendi; M M P Oerlemans; M J Logtenberg; R Akkerman; R An; M A van den Berg; E G Zoetendal; T Koster; C Kong; M M Faas; H A Schols; P de Vos

doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.119280

The level and distribution of methyl-esters influence the impact of pectin on intestinal T cells, microbiota, and Ahr activation

Carbohydr Polym. 2022 Jun 15:286:119280. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.119280. Epub 2022 Feb 23.

Authors

M Beukema¹, É Jermendi², M M P Oerlemans³, M J Logtenberg⁴, R Akkerman⁵, R An⁶, M A van den Berg⁷, E G Zoetendal⁸, T Koster⁹, C Kong¹⁰, M M Faas¹¹, H A Schols¹², P de Vos¹³

Affiliations

¹ Immunoendocrinology, Division of Medical Biology, Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Laboratory of Food Chemistry, Wageningen University, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG Wageningen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].
³ Immunoendocrinology, Division of Medical Biology, Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ Laboratory of Food Chemistry, Wageningen University, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG Wageningen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁵ Immunoendocrinology, Division of Medical Biology, Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁶ Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁷ DSM Biotechnology Center, Alexander Fleminglaan 1, 2613 AX Delft, the Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁸ Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁹ Immunoendocrinology, Division of Medical Biology, Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹⁰ Immunoendocrinology, Division of Medical Biology, Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹¹ Immunoendocrinology, Division of Medical Biology, Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹² Laboratory of Food Chemistry, Wageningen University, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG Wageningen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹³ Immunoendocrinology, Division of Medical Biology, Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 35337504
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.119280

Abstract

Pectins are dietary fibres that modulate T cell immunity, microbiota composition, and fermentation profiles, but how this is influenced by the degree of methyl-esterification (DM) and degree-of-blockiness (DB) of pectin is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that supplementation of DM19(high-DB), DM49(low-DB) and DM43(high-DB) pectins at a low dose increased the frequencies of intestinal T-helper (Th)1 and Th2 cells after 1 week of pectin supplementation in mice, whereas DM18(low-DB) did not. After 4 weeks of supplementation with those pectins, Th1 and Th2 frequencies returned to control levels, whereas Rorγt⁺ regulatory T-cell frequencies increased. These structure-dependent effects could derive from induced shifts in microbiota composition that differed between DM18(low-DB) pectin and the other pectins. T-cell-modulating effects were not short-chain-fatty acid-dependent, but rather through an increase in Aryl-hydrocarbon-receptor-activating components. Thus, pectins with a specific combination of DM and DB have an impact on intestinal T cell-immunity in mice, when supplemented at a low dose.

Keywords: Aryl-hydrocarbon receptor; Degree of blockiness; Degree of methyl-esterification; Microbiota; Pectin; Short-chain fatty acids; T cell.

MeSH terms

Animals
Dietary Fiber
Esters
Intestines
Mice
Microbiota*
Pectins* / pharmacology

Substances

Dietary Fiber
Esters
Pectins