scholarly journals Delivery mode impacts newborn gut colonization efficiency

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Mitchell ◽  
Larson Hogstrom ◽  
Allison Bryant ◽  
Agnes Bergerat ◽  
Avital Cher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Dominant Factor ◽  
Delivery Mode ◽  
Metagenomic Sequencing ◽  
Vaginal Microbiome ◽  
Abdominal Incision ◽  
Birth Canal ◽  
Microbiome Composition ◽  
Gut Colonization ◽  
Infant Gut Microbiome

AbstractDelivery mode is the variable with the greatest influence on the infant gut microbiome composition in the first few months of life. Children born by Cesarean section (C-section) lack species from the Bacteroides genus in their gut microbial community, and this difference can be detectable until 6-18 months of age. One hypothesis is that these differences stem from lack of exposure to the maternal vaginal microbiome, as children born by C-section do not pass through the birth canal; however, Bacteroides species are not common members of the vaginal microbiome, thus this explanation seems inadequate. Here, we set out to re-evaluate this hypothesis by collecting rectal and vaginal samples before delivery from 73 mothers with paired stool from their infants in the first two weeks of life. We compared microbial profiles of infants born by planned, pre-labor C-section to those born by emergent, post-labor surgery (where the child was in the birth canal, but eventually delivered through an abdominal incision), and found no significant differences in the microbiome between these two groups. Both groups showed the characteristic signature lack of Bacteroides species, despite their difference in exposure to the birth canal. Surprisingly, this signature was only evident in samples from week two of life, but not in the first week. Children born by C-section often had high abundance of Bacteroides in their first few days of life, but these were not stable colonizers of the infant gut, as they were not detectable by week two. Finally, we used metagenomic sequencing to compare microbial strains in maternal vaginal and rectal samples and samples from their infants; we found evidence for mother-to-child transmission of rectal rather than vaginal strains. These results challenge birth canal exposure as the dominant factor in infant gut microbiome establishment and implicate colonization efficiency rather than exposure as a dictating factor of the newborn gut microbiome composition.

scholarly journals Infant gut microbiome composition is associated with non-social fear behavior in a pilot study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander L. Carlson ◽  
Kai Xia ◽  
M. Andrea Azcarate-Peril ◽  
Samuel P. Rosin ◽  
Jason P. Fine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Experimental Manipulation ◽  
Human Infant ◽  
Microbiome Composition ◽  
Social Fear ◽  
Infant Gut Microbiome ◽  
First Year Of Life ◽  
Fear Behavior

AbstractExperimental manipulation of gut microbes in animal models alters fear behavior and relevant neurocircuitry. In humans, the first year of life is a key period for brain development, the emergence of fearfulness, and the establishment of the gut microbiome. Variation in the infant gut microbiome has previously been linked to cognitive development, but its relationship with fear behavior and neurocircuitry is unknown. In this pilot study of 34 infants, we find that 1-year gut microbiome composition (Weighted Unifrac; lower abundance of Bacteroides, increased abundance of Veillonella, Dialister, and Clostridiales) is significantly associated with increased fear behavior during a non-social fear paradigm. Infants with increased richness and reduced evenness of the 1-month microbiome also display increased non-social fear. This study indicates associations of the human infant gut microbiome with fear behavior and possible relationships with fear-related brain structures on the basis of a small cohort. As such, it represents an important step in understanding the role of the gut microbiome in the development of human fear behaviors, but requires further validation with a larger number of participants.

scholarly journals The sugar composition of the fibre in selected plant foods modulates weaning infants’ gut microbiome composition and fermentation metabolites in vitro

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanthi G. Parkar ◽  
Jovyn K. T. Frost ◽  
Doug Rosendale ◽  
Halina M. Stoklosinski ◽  
Carel M. H. Jobsis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Sugar Composition ◽  
Microbiome Composition ◽  
Fibre Concentration ◽  
Microbiome Profile ◽  
Infant Gut Microbiome ◽  
Immune Health ◽  
Faecal Bacteria

AbstractEight plant-based foods: oat flour and pureed apple, blackcurrant, carrot, gold- and green-fleshed kiwifruit, pumpkin, sweetcorn, were pre-digested and fermented with pooled inocula of weaning infants’ faecal bacteria in an in vitro hindgut model. Inulin and water were included as controls. The pre-digested foods were analysed for digestion-resistant fibre-derived sugar composition and standardised to the same total fibre concentration prior to fermentation. The food-microbiome interactions were then characterised by measuring microbial acid and gas metabolites, microbial glycosidase activity and determining microbiome structure. At the physiologically relevant time of 10 h of fermentation, the xyloglucan-rich apple and blackcurrant favoured a propiogenic metabolic and microbiome profile with no measurable gas production. Glucose-rich, xyloglucan-poor pumpkin caused the greatest increases in lactate and acetate (indicative of high fermentability) commensurate with increased bifidobacteria. Glucose-rich, xyloglucan-poor oats and sweetcorn, and arabinogalactan-rich carrot also increased lactate and acetate, and were more stimulatory of clostridial families, which are indicative of increased microbial diversity and gut and immune health. Inulin favoured a probiotic-driven consortium, while water supported a proteolytic microbiome. This study shows that the fibre-derived sugar composition of complementary foods may shape infant gut microbiome structure and metabolic activity, at least in vitro.

Iron-containing micronutrient powders modify the effect of oral antibiotics on the infant gut microbiome and increase post-antibiotic diarrhoea risk: a controlled study in Kenya

Gut ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 645-653 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Paganini ◽  
Mary A Uyoga ◽  
Guus A M Kortman ◽  
Colin I Cercamondi ◽  
Hans C Winkler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Faecal Calprotectin ◽  
Microbiome Composition ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Increase Risk ◽  
Infant Gut Microbiome ◽  
Registration Number ◽  
Antibiotic Efficacy

ObjectiveMany African infants receiving iron fortificants also receive antibiotics. Antibiotic efficacy against enteropathogens may be modified by high colonic iron concentrations. In this study, we evaluated the effect of antibiotics on the infant gut microbiome and diarrhoea when given with or without iron-containing micronutrient powders (MNPs).DesignIn a controlled intervention trial, four groups of community-dwelling infants (n=28; aged 8–10 months) received either: (A) antibiotics for 5 days and iron-MNPs for 40 days (Fe+Ab+); (B) antibiotics and no-iron-MNPs (Fe−Ab+); (C) no antibiotics and iron-MNPs (Fe+Ab−); or (D) no antibiotics and no-iron-MNPs (Fe−Ab−). We collected a faecal sample before the first antibiotic dose (D0) and after 5, 10, 20 and 40 days (D5–D40) to assess the gut microbiome composition by 16S profiling, enteropathogens by quantitative PCR, faecal calprotectin and pH and assessed morbidity over the 40-day study period.ResultsIn Fe+Ab+, there was a decrease in Bifidobacterium abundances (p<0.05), but no decrease in Fe−Ab+. In Fe−Ab+, there was a decrease in abundances of pathogenic Escherichia coli (p<0.05), but no decrease in Fe+Ab+. In Fe−Ab+, there was a decrease in pH (p<0.05), but no decrease in Fe+Ab+. Longitudinal prevalence of diarrhoea was higher in Fe+Ab+ (19.6%) compared with Fe−Ab+ (12.4%) (p=0.04) and compared with Fe+Ab− (5.2%) (p=0.00).ConclusionOur findings need confirmation in a larger study but suggest that, in African infants, iron fortification modifies the response to broad-spectrum antibiotics: iron may reduce their efficacy against potential enteropathogens, particularly pathogenic E. coli, and may increase risk for diarrhoea.Trial registration numberNCT02118402; Pre-results.

scholarly journals The Infant Gut Resistome is Associated with E. coli and Early-life Exposures

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca M. Lebeaux ◽  
Modupe O. Coker ◽  
Erika F. Dade ◽  
Thomas J. Palys ◽  
Hilary G. Morrison ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Relative Risk ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Early Life ◽  
The United States ◽  
Delivery Mode ◽  
Metagenomic Sequencing ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Early Life Exposures

Abstract Background: Antibiotic resistance is an increasing threat to human health. The human gut microbiome harbors a collection of bacterial antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) known as the resistome. The factors associated with establishment of the resistome in early life are not well understood and clarifying these factors would inform strategies to decrease antibiotic resistance. We investigated the early-life exposures and taxonomic signatures associated with resistome development over the first year of life in a large, prospective cohort in the United States. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing was used to profile both microbial composition and ARGs in stool samples collected at 6 weeks and 1 year of age from infants enrolled in the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study. Negative binomial regression and statistical modeling was used to examine infant factors such as sex, delivery mode, feeding method, gestational age, antibiotic exposure, and infant gut microbiome composition in relation to the diversity and relative abundance of ARGs.Results: Metagenomic sequencing was performed on paired samples from 195 full term (at least 37 weeks’ gestation) and 15 late preterm (33-36 weeks’ gestation) infants. 6-week samples compared to 1-year samples had 4.37 times (95% CI: 3.54-5.39) the rate of harboring ARGs. The majority of ARGs that were at a greater relative abundance at 6 weeks (chi-squared p < 0.01) worked through the mechanism of antibiotic efflux (i.e., by pumping antibiotics out of the cell). The overall relative abundance of the resistome was strongly correlated with Proteobacteria (Spearman correlation = 78.9%) and specifically E. coli (62.2%) relative abundance in the gut microbiome. Among infant characteristics, delivery mode was most strongly associated with the diversity and relative abundance of ARGs. Infants born via cesarean delivery had a higher risk of harboring unique ARGs [relative risk = 1.12 (95% CI: 0.97 – 1.29)] as well as a having an increased risk for overall ARG relative abundance [relative risk = 1.43 (95% CI: 1.12 – 1.84)] at 1 year compared to infants born vaginally. Additionally, 6 specific ARGs were at a greater relative abundance in infants delivered by cesarean section compared to vaginally delivered infants across both time points. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the developing infant gut resistome may be alterable by early-life exposures. Establishing the extent to which infant characteristics and early-life exposures impact the resistome can ultimately lead to interventions that decrease the transmission of ARGs and thus the possibility of antibiotic resistant life threatening infections.

scholarly journals Delivery mode and perinatal antibiotics influence the predicted metabolic pathways of the gut microbiome

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Petri Vänni ◽  
Mysore V. Tejesvi ◽  
Sofia Ainonen ◽  
Marjo Renko ◽  
Katja Korpela ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caesarean Section ◽  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Marker Gene ◽  
Delivery Mode ◽  
16S Sequencing ◽  
Microbiome Composition ◽  
Carbohydrate Degradation ◽  
Functional Profiles ◽  
Learning Analysis

AbstractDelivery mode and perinatal antibiotics influence gut microbiome composition in children. Most microbiome studies have used the sequencing of the bacterial 16S marker gene but have not reported the metabolic function of the gut microbiome, which may mediate biological effects on the host. Here, we used the PICRUSt2 bioinformatics tool to predict the functional profiles of the gut microbiome based on 16S sequencing in two child cohorts. Both Caesarean section and perinatal antibiotics markedly influenced the functional profiles of the gut microbiome at the age of 1 year. In machine learning analysis, bacterial fatty acid, phospholipid, and biotin biosynthesis were the most important pathways that differed according to delivery mode. Proteinogenic amino acid biosynthesis, carbohydrate degradation, pyrimidine deoxyribonucleotide and biotin biosynthesis were the most important pathways differing according to antibiotic exposure. Our study shows that both Caesarean section and perinatal antibiotics markedly influence the predicted metabolic profiles of the gut microbiome at the age of 1 year.

scholarly journals Safety and Modulatory Effects of Humanized Galacto-Oligosaccharides on the Gut Microbiome

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason W. Arnold ◽  
Hunter D. Whittington ◽  
Suzanne F. Dagher ◽  
Jeffery Roach ◽  
M. Andrea Azcarate-Peril ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Alpha Diversity ◽  
Biological Synthesis ◽  
Glycosyl Hydrolases ◽  
Microbiome Composition ◽  
Metabolic Substrates ◽  
Beneficial Impact ◽  
Infant Gut Microbiome ◽  
Membrane Bound

Complex dietary carbohydrate structures including β(1–4) galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) are resistant to digestion in the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract and arrive intact to the colon where they benefit the host by selectively stimulating microbial growth. Studies have reported the beneficial impact of GOS (alone or in combination with other prebiotics) by serving as metabolic substrates for modulating the assembly of the infant gut microbiome while reducing GI infections. N-Acetyl-D-lactosamine (LacNAc, Galβ1,4GlcNAc) is found in breast milk as a free disaccharide. This compound is also found as a component of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), which have repeating and variably branched lactose and/or LacNAc units, often attached to sialic acid and fucose monosaccharides. Human glycosyl-hydrolases do not degrade most HMOs, indicating that these structures have evolved as natural prebiotics to drive the proper assembly of the infant healthy gut microbiota. Here, we sought to develop a novel enzymatic method for generating LacNAc-enriched GOS, which we refer to as humanized GOS (hGOS). We showed that the membrane-bound β-hexosyl transferase (rBHT) from Hamamotoa (Sporobolomyces) singularis was able to generate GOS and hGOS from lactose and N-Acetyl-glucosamine (GlcNAc). The enzyme catalyzed the regio-selective, repeated addition of galactose from lactose to GlcNAc forming the β-galactosyl linkage at the 4-position of the GlcNAc and at the 1-position of D-galactose generating, in addition to GOS, LacNAc, and Galactosyl-LacNAc trisaccharides which were produced by two sequential transgalactosylations. Humanized GOS is chemically distinct from HMOs, and its effects in vivo have yet to be determined. Thus, we evaluated its safety and demonstrated the prebiotic's ability to modulate the gut microbiome in 6-week-old C57BL/6J mice. Longitudinal analysis of gut microbiome composition of stool samples collected from mice fed a diet containing hGOS for 5 weeks showed a transient reduction in alpha diversity. Differences in microbiome community composition mostly within the Firmicutes phylum were observed between hGOS and GOS, compared to control-fed animals. In sum, our study demonstrated the biological synthesis of hGOS, and signaled its safety and ability to modulate the gut microbiome in vivo, promoting the growth of beneficial microorganisms, including Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia.

scholarly journals Interplay between the human gut microbiome and host metabolism

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessia Visconti ◽  
Caroline I. Le Roy ◽  
Fabio Rosa ◽  
Niccolo Rossi ◽  
Tiphaine C. Martin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Metabolic Pathways ◽  
Taxonomic Composition ◽  
Metagenomic Sequencing ◽  
Human Gut ◽  
Metabolic Potential ◽  
Microbial Ecosystem ◽  
Microbiome Composition ◽  
Shotgun Metagenomic Sequencing ◽  
Key Species

AbstractThe human gut is inhabited by a complex and metabolically active microbial ecosystem regulating host health. While many studies have focused on the effect of individual microbial taxa, the metabolic potential of the entire gut microbial ecosystem has been largely under-explored. We characterised the gut microbiome of 1,004 twins via whole shotgun metagenomic sequencing (average 39M reads per sample). We observed greater similarity, across unrelated individuals, for functional metabolic pathways (82%) than for taxonomic composition (43%). We conducted a microbiota-wide association study linking both taxonomic information and microbial metabolic pathways with 673 blood and 713 faecal metabolites (Metabolon, Inc.). Metabolic pathways associated with 34% of blood and 95% of faecal metabolites, with over 18,000 significant associations, while species-level results identified less than 3,000 associations, suggesting that coordinated action of multiple taxa is required to affect the metabolome. Finally, we estimated that the microbiome mediated a crosstalk between 71% of faecal and 15% of blood metabolites, highlighting six key species (unclassified Subdoligranulum spp., Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Roseburia inulinivorans, Methanobrevibacter smithii, Eubacterium rectale, and Akkermansia muciniphila). Because of the large inter-person variability in microbiome composition, our results underline the importance of studying gut microbial metabolic pathways rather than focusing purely on taxonomy to find therapeutic and diagnostic targets.

scholarly journals An online atlas of human plasma metabolite signatures of gut microbiome composition

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koen F. Dekkers ◽  
Sergi Sayols-Baixeras ◽  
Gabriel Baldanzi ◽  
Christoph Nowak ◽  
Ulf Hammar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Alpha Diversity ◽  
Plasma Metabolites ◽  
Uremic Toxin ◽  
Metagenomic Sequencing ◽  
Microbiome Composition ◽  
Plasma Metabolite

The human gut microbiota produces a variety of small compounds, some of which enter the bloodstream and impact host health. Conversely, various exogenous nutritional and pharmaceutical compounds affect the gut microbiome composition before entering circulation. Characterization of the gut microbiota—host plasma metabolite interactions is an important step towards understanding the effects of the gut microbiota on human health. However, studies involving large and deeply phenotyped cohorts that would reveal such meaningful interactions are scarce. Here, we used deep metagenomic sequencing and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography linked to mass spectrometry for detailed characterization of the fecal microbiota and plasma metabolome, respectively, of 8,584 participants invited at age 50 to 64 of the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS). After adjusting for multiple comparisons, we identified 1,008 associations between species alpha diversity and plasma metabolites, and 318,944 associations between specific gut metagenomic species and plasma metabolites. The gut microbiota explained up to 50% of the variance of individual plasma metabolites (mean of 4.7%). We present all results as the searchable association atlas "GUTSY" as a rich resource for mining associations, and exemplify the potential of the atlas by presenting novel associations between oral medication and the gut microbiome, and microbiota species strongly associated with levels of the uremic toxin p-cresol sulfate. The association atlas can be used as the basis for targeted studies of perturbation of specific bacteria and for identification of candidate plasma biomarkers of gut flora composition.

scholarly journals Alterations in gut microbiome composition and function in irritable bowel syndrome and increased probiotic abundance with daily supplementation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joann Phan ◽  
Divya Nair ◽  
Suneer Jain ◽  
Thibaut Montagne ◽  
Demi Valeria Flores ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Irritable Bowel Syndrome ◽  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
The United States ◽  
Supporting Evidence ◽  
Metagenomic Sequencing ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Microbiome Composition ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Stool Samples ◽  
Irritable Bowel

AbstractBackgroundIrritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is characterized by abdominal discomfort and irregular bowel movements and stool consistency. Because there are different symptoms associated with IBS, it is difficult to diagnose the role of the microbiome in IBS.ObjectiveHere, we present a study that includes metagenomic sequencing of stool samples from subjects with the predominant subtypes of IBS and a healthy cohort. We collected longitudinal samples from individuals with IBS who took daily made-to-order precision probiotic and prebiotic supplementation throughout the study.Materials and MethodsThis study includes a population of 489 individuals with IBS and 122 healthy controls. All stool samples were subjected to shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Precision probiotics and prebiotics were formulated for all subjects with longitudinal timepoints.ResultsThere was significant variation explained in the microbiome between the healthy and IBS cohorts. Individuals with IBS had a lower gut microbiome diversity and reduced anti-inflammatory microbes compared to the healthy controls. Eubacterium rectale and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii were associated with healthy microbiomes while Shigella species were associated with IBS. Pathway analysis indicated a functional imbalance of short chain fatty acids, vitamins, and a microbial component of Gram-negative bacteria in IBS compared to healthy controls. In the longitudinal dataset, there was a significant difference in microbiome composition between timepoints 1 and 3. There was also a significant increase in the overall microbiome score and relative abundances of probiotic species used to target the symptoms associated with IBS.ConclusionsWe identified microbes and pathways that differentiate healthy and IBS microbiomes. In response to precision probiotic supplementation, we identified a significant improvement in the overall microbiome score in individuals with IBS. These results suggest an important role for probiotics in managing IBS symptoms and modulation of the microbiome as a potential management strategy.ImportanceAn estimated 35 million people in the United States and 11.5% of the population globally are affected by IBS. Immunity, genetics, environment, diet, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), and the gut microbiome are all factors that contribute to the onset or triggers of IBS. With strong supporting evidence that the gut microbiome may influence symptoms associated with IBS, elucidating the important microbes that contribute to the symptoms and severity is important to make decisions for targeted treatment. As probiotics have become more common in treating IBS symptoms, identifying effective probiotics may help inform future studies and treatment.

scholarly journals Antibiotic resistance potential of the healthy preterm infant gut microbiome

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e2928 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham Rose ◽  
Alexander G. Shaw ◽  
Kathleen Sim ◽  
David J. Wooldridge ◽  
Ming-Shi Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Preterm Infant ◽  
Resistance Genes ◽  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽  
Taxonomic Diversity ◽  
Metagenomic Sequencing ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance Genes ◽  
Infant Gut Microbiome

Background Few studies have investigated the gut microbiome of infants, fewer still preterm infants. In this study we sought to quantify and interrogate the resistome within a cohort of premature infants using shotgun metagenomic sequencing. We describe the gut microbiomes from preterm but healthy infants, characterising the taxonomic diversity identified and frequency of antibiotic resistance genes detected. Results Dominant clinically important species identified within the microbiomes included C. perfringens, K. pneumoniae and members of the Staphylococci and Enterobacter genera. Screening at the gene level we identified an average of 13 antimicrobial resistance genes per preterm infant, ranging across eight different antibiotic classes, including aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones. Some antibiotic resistance genes were associated with clinically relevant bacteria, including the identification of mecA and high levels of Staphylococci within some infants. We were able to demonstrate that in a third of the infants the S. aureus identified was unrelated using MLST or metagenome assembly, but low abundance prevented such analysis within the remaining samples. Conclusions We found that the healthy preterm infant gut microbiomes in this study harboured a significant diversity of antibiotic resistance genes. This broad picture of resistances and the wider taxonomic diversity identified raises further caution to the use of antibiotics without consideration of the resident microbial communities.

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