# Red panda intestinal organoids for the functional analysis of Lactobacillus salivarius

## TL;DR

Researchers created red panda intestinal organoids to study the effects of a probiotic bacteria, Lactobacillus salivarius, on gut health and infection resistance.

## Contribution

The first long-term, passagable red panda intestinal organoid system and its use to demonstrate probiotic effects of Lactobacillus salivarius P103.

## Key findings

- Red panda intestinal organoids retain tissue-specific cell types and functions.
- Lactobacillus salivarius P103 promotes mucin secretion and reduces intestinal inflammation.
- The probiotic inhibits infection by Klebsiella pneumoniae 28 in organoid co-culture.

## Abstract

Organoids are excellent and reproducible in vitro models for studying physiological mechanisms and modeling diseases in endangered species. However, intestinal organoids of red pandas have not yet been established. This study reports a culture system of intestinal stem cell-derived organoids of red panda that can be passaged, cryopreserved, and resuscitated in vitro. The single-cell RNA sequencing and RNA sequencing analysis showed that red panda intestinal organoids retain tissue-specific cell types and functions. In order to verify the application potential of Lactobacillus salivarius P103 as a probiotic in red pandas, these organoids were used to establish a co-culture system with L. salivarius P103. The results showed that L. salivarius P103 could promote mucin secretion, reduce intestinal inflammation, and inhibit infection induced by Klebsiella pneumoniae 28. The establishment of red panda intestinal organoids provides a long-term, reproducible model system for studying host-microbe interaction mechanisms and decreasing dependence on animal models in wildlife research.

•Established long-term, passagable, cryopreservable red panda intestinal organoids•Organoid single-cell transcriptomes retain major intestinal epithelial lineages•Lactobacillus salivarius P103 exhibits probiotic effects in red panda organoids

Established long-term, passagable, cryopreservable red panda intestinal organoids

Organoid single-cell transcriptomes retain major intestinal epithelial lineages

Lactobacillus salivarius P103 exhibits probiotic effects in red panda organoids

Endangered species microbiology; Bacteriology; Experimental models in systems biology