Abstract
Fabry disease is a rare X-linked lysosomal storage disorder resulting from deficient activity of α-galactosidase A, leading to the accumulation of glycosphingolipids such as globotriaosylsphingosine (lyso-Gb3). The gastrointestinal symptoms of this disease may be disabling, and the life expectancy of affected patients is shortened by kidney and heart disease. Our hypothesis was that lyso-Gb3 may modify the gut microbiota. The impact of a clinically relevant concentration of lyso-Gb3 on mono- or multispecies bacterial biofilms were evaluated. A complex bacterial community from the simulated transverse colon microbiota was studied using quantitative PCR to estimate different bacterial group concentrations and a HPLC was used to estimate short-chain fatty acids concentrations. We found that lyso-Gb3 increased the biofilm-forming capacity of several individual bacteria, including Bacteroides fragilis and significantly increased the growth of B. fragilis in a multispecies biofilm. Lyso-Gb3 also modified the bacterial composition of the human colon microbiota suspension, increasing bacterial counts of B. fragilis, among others. Finally, lyso-Gb3 modified the formation of short-chain fatty acids, leading to a striking decrease in butyrate concentration. Lyso-Gb3 modifies the biology of gut bacteria, favoring the production of biofilms and altering the composition and short-chain fatty-acid profile of the gut microbiota.