The prominent alteration in transcriptome and metabolome of Mycobacterium bovis BCG str. Tokyo 172 induced by vitamin B(1)

BACKGROUND: Vitamin B(1) (V(B1)) is a crucial dietary nutrient and essential cofactor for several key enzymes in the regulation of cellular and metabolic processes, and more importantly in the activation of immune system. To date, the precise role of V(B1) in Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains to be fully understood. RESULTS: In this study, the transcriptional and metabolic profiles of V(B1)-treated Mycobacterium. bovis BCG were analyzed by RNA-sequencing and LC-MS (Liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry). The selection of BCG strain was based on its common physiological features shared with M. tuberculosis. The results of cell growth assays demonstrated that V(B1) inhibited the BCG growth rate in vitro. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the expression levels of genes related to fatty acid metabolism, cholesterol metabolism, glycolipid catabolism, DNA replication, protein translation, cell division and cell wall formation were significantly downregulated in M. bovis BCG treated with V(B1.) In addition, the metabolomics LC-MS data indicated that most of the amino acids and adenosine diphosphate (ADP) were decreased in M. bovis BCG strain after V(B1) treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the molecular and metabolic bases to understand the impacts of V(B1) on M.bovis BCG. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s12866-019-1492-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.