Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated that gut microbiota development influences infants' health and subsequent host physiology. However, the factors shaping the development of the microbiota remain poorly understood, and the mechanisms through which these factors affect gut metabolite profiles have not been extensively investigated. Here we analyse gut microbiota development of 27 infants during the first month of life. We find three distinct clusters that transition towards Bifidobacteriaceae-dominant microbiota. We observe considerable differences in human milk oligosaccharide utilization among infant bifidobacteria. Colonization of fucosyllactose (FL)-utilizing bifidobacteria is associated with altered metabolite profiles and microbiota compositions, which have been previously shown to affect infant health. Genome analysis of infants' bifidobacteria reveals an ABC transporter as a key genetic factor for FL utilization. Thus, the ability of bifidobacteria to utilize FL and the presence of FL in breast milk may affect the development of the gut microbiota in infants, and might ultimately have therapeutic implications.
Highlights
Recent studies have demonstrated that gut microbiota development influences infants’ health and subsequent host physiology
Previous studies have reported that the composition of the infant gut microbiota differs from that of adults[7,8,9], that substantial variation occurs between individuals[6,10,11] and that bifidobacteria predominate in most infants[11,12,13]
Little is known about their pattern of progression, factors that drive the assembly of infant gut microbiota and how these factors affect metabolite profiles
Summary
Recent studies have demonstrated that gut microbiota development influences infants’ health and subsequent host physiology. Colonization of fucosyllactose (FL)-utilizing bifidobacteria is associated with altered metabolite profiles and microbiota compositions, which have been previously shown to affect infant health. The ability of bifidobacteria to utilize FL and the presence of FL in breast milk may affect the development of the gut microbiota in infants, and might have therapeutic implications. We investigated gut microbiota compositions and metabolic profiles for 217 stool samples obtained from 27 infants during their first month of life (202 samples from 12 infants were analysed longitudinally and 15 samples from 15 infants were studied in follow-up). We subsequently analysed phenotypes and genotypes of isolated bifidobacteria, and found a key genetic factor affecting infant gut microbiota composition and metabolite profile
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
