Bifidobacterium longum can degrade the urinary N -glycoprotein Uromodulin

Uromodulin (UMOD), the most abundant urinary glycoprotein, protects against urinary tract infections through glycan-mediated pathogen binding; nevertheless, its interactions with commensal bladder microbiota (urobiome) remain unexplored. Based on our previous bioinformatics analysis on the urobiome's capacity to digest host glycans with glycosyl hydrolase genes (GHs), we hypothesized that UMOD may serve as a nutrient source for selected bacteria. We cultured one of them, Bifidobacterium longum, in a minimal medium supplemented solely with purified UMOD. Our results indicate that UMOD is degraded by B. longum , supporting a new role for UMOD in the urobiome's metabolism.