Bacteriophages Isolated from Stunted Children Can Regulate Gut Bacterial Communities in an Age-Specific Manner

Mohammadali Khan Mirzaei,Md Anik Ashfaq Khan,Prakash Ghosh,Zofia E Taranu,Mariia Taguer,Jinlong Ru,Rajashree Chowdhury,Md Mamun Kabir,Li Deng,Dinesh Mondal,Corinne F Maurice

doi:10.1016/j.chom.2020.01.004

Abstract

SummaryStunting, a severe and multigenerational growth impairment, globally affects 22% of children under the age of 5 years. Stunted children have altered gut bacterial communities with higher proportions of Proteobacteria, a phylum with several known human pathogens. Despite the links between an altered gut microbiota and stunting, the role of bacteriophages, highly abundant bacterial viruses, is unknown. Here, we describe the gut bacterial and bacteriophage communities of Bangladeshi stunted children younger than 38 months. We show that these children harbor distinct gut bacteriophages relative to their non-stunted counterparts. In vitro, these gut bacteriophages are infectious and can regulate bacterial abundance and composition in an age-specific manner, highlighting their possible role in the pathophysiology of child stunting. Specifically, Proteobacteria from non-stunted children increased in the presence of phages from younger stunted children, suggesting that phages could contribute to the bacterial community changes observed in child stunting.

Highlights

Malnutrition is a major health concern in low- and middle-income countries and the leading cause of death in children younger than 5 years (Mu€ller and Krawinkel, 2005)
Viral abundances in young children were more variable compared with the older ones, regardless of their health status (Figure S2A). This variability in viral-like particles (VLPs) abundance is specific to young children and was not observed with the bacterial abundance data
We report no statistical difference between the virus-to-bacteria ratio (VBR) of the different groups, most probably because of the high variability in VLP abundance in the younger children (Figure S2C)

Summary

Introduction

Malnutrition is a major health concern in low- and middle-income countries and the leading cause of death in children younger than 5 years (Mu€ller and Krawinkel, 2005). The onset of stunting occurs in children between the ages of 6 and 23 months old, when linear growth is highly susceptible to nutritional deficiency and environmental stress. This is the transition period from exclusive milk feed to solid food. In addition to nutritional deficiencies, stunting is linked to repeated diarrheal infections and poor sanitation (MAL-ED Network Investigators et al, 2017) This multifactorial condition has multigenerational consequences and is associated with increased susceptibility to chronic diseases, poor education performance, and poor socioeconomic conditions (Blanton et al, 2016; Vonaesch et al, 2018). The health risks and environmental drivers of child stunting are well documented, the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms for this disease remain largely unknown, and recent studies have unveiled a correlation between an altered gut microbiota and stunting (Million et al, 2017; Vonaesch et al, 2018)

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion