Transcriptomic remodeling of gastric cells by Helicobacter pylori Outer Membrane Vesicles

Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that colonizes the human stomach, like all Gram-negative bacteria spontaneously shed outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). OMVs, which act as a delivery system for bacterial components, are involved in bacterial-host interactions and thus contribute to pathogenesis. In this study, to understand the gene expression changes that human gastric epithelial cells might undergo when exposed to H. pylori-OMVs, we profiled the transcriptomic changes of the MKN74 gastric cell line induced by OMVs compared to control cells and H. pylori-infected cells, using the Ion AmpliSeq™ Transcriptome Human Gene Expression Panel. The top enriched pathways in the OMVs challenge condition included amino acid-related metabolic pathways, mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling, autophagy, and ferroptosis. The cell cycle, DNA replication, and repair pathways were the top diminished pathways. The transcriptomic changes induced by OMVs were largely consistent with those of the bacteria, although often at low expression levels, suggesting that their effects will mostly reinforce those of the bacterium itself. Our data provide a valuable portrayal of the transcriptomic remodeling of gastric cells by H. pylori-OMVs, which can be further dissected regarding the underlying molecular mediators and explored to understand the pathobiology of the full-spectrum of H. pylori-mediated diseases.