Figure 8. MS-associated Akkermansia ameliorates EAE.

A) Stool samples from MS patients with high levels of Akkermansia, corresponding to 3 different V4 16S rRNA sequences, were plated on minimal mucin agar, and slow-growing strains were isolated and identified by 16S rRNA Sanger sequencing. Phylogenetic tree constructed from near full length 16S rRNA sequences shows three phylotypes of Akkermansia isolated from HC and MS patients. B) Akkermansia isolated from RRMS and progressive MS subjects reduce EAE score in the C57/MOG model, whereas the control bacteria Bacteroides cellulosilyticus (Bc) does not, n = 10-14 mice per group. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, **** p < 0.0001 Freidman’s test with Dunn’s correction for multiple comparisons. C) Cumulative EAE scores. D-E) Mice were colonized with B. cellulosilyticus, Akkermansia muciniphila Type strain, and three MS-derived Akkermansia strains, n = 5 per group. EAE was induced, and immunologic responses were measured 10 days later. D) Levels of RORγT+ γδ T cells in unstimulated splenocytes and levels of IL-17 production in PMA/ionomycin stimulated splenocytes. * p < 0.05, one-way ANOVA. E) Representative FACs plots of RORγT and IL-17 production from splenic γδ-T cells.