Abstract
SummaryDiet-microbe interactions play a crucial role in modulation of the early life microbiota and infant health. Bifidobacterium dominates the breast-fed infant gut and may persist in individuals during transition from a milk-based to a more diversified diet. Here, we investigated adaptation of Bifidobacterium longum to the changing nutritional environment. Genomic characterization of 75 strains isolated from nine either exclusively breast- or formula-fed (pre-weaning) infants in their first 18 months revealed subspecies- and strain-specific intra-individual genomic diversity with respect to carbohydrate metabolism, which corresponded to different dietary stages. Complementary phenotypic studies indicated strain-specific differences in utilization of human milk oligosaccharides and plant carbohydrates, whereas proteomic profiling identified gene clusters involved in metabolism of selected carbohydrates. Our results indicate a strong link between infant diet and B. longum diversity and provide additional insights into possible competitive advantage mechanisms of this Bifidobacterium species and its persistence in a single host.
Highlights
Microbial colonization shortly after birth is the first step in establishment of the mutualistic relationship between the host and its microbiota (Backhed et al, 2015; Wampach et al, 2017; Lawson et al, 2020)
Genomic characterization of 75 strains isolated from nine either exclusively breast- or formula-fed infants in their first 18 months revealed subspecies- and strain-specific intra-individual genomic diversity with respect to carbohydrate metabolism, which corresponded to different dietary stages
Our results indicate a strong link between infant diet and B. longum diversity and provide additional insights into possible competitive advantage mechanisms of this Bifidobacterium species and its persistence in a single host
Summary
Microbial colonization shortly after birth is the first step in establishment of the mutualistic relationship between the host and its microbiota (Backhed et al, 2015; Wampach et al, 2017; Lawson et al, 2020). Caesarean-section-born infants have disrupted transmission of maternal gastrointestinal bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium, and high levels of opportunistic hospital-associated pathogens (Shao et al, 2019). The strong diet-microbe association has further been supported by reports of differences in microbial composition between breast- and formula-fed infants (e.g. high versus low Bifidobacterium abundance) and related differential health outcomes between the two groups: e.g. increased instances of asthma, allergy, and obesity in formula-fed infants (Ip et al, 2007; Das, 2007; O’sullivan et al, 2015; Martin et al, 2016; Stiemsma and Michels, 2018; Ortega-Garcia et al, 2018; Forbes et al, 2018)
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