Bifidobacterial Succession and Correlation Networks in a Large Unselected Cohort of Mothers and Their Children

Abstract

c Bifidobacteria are a major microbial component of infant gut microbiota, which is believed to promote health benefits for the host and stimulate maturation of the immune system. Despite their perceived importance, very little is known about the natural development of and possible correlations between bifidobacteria in human populations. To address this knowledge gap, we analyzed stool samples from a randomly selected healthy cohort of 87 infants and their mothers with >90% of vaginal delivery and nearly 100% breast-feeding at 4 months. Fecal material was sampled during pregnancy, at 3 and 10 days, at 4 months, and at 1 and 2 years after birth. Stool samples were predicted to be rich in the species Bifidobacterium adolescentis, B. bifidum, B. dentium, B. breve, and B. longum. Due to high variation, we did not identify a clear age-related structure at the individual level. Within the population as a whole, however, there were clear age-related successions. Negative correlations between the B. longum group and B. adolescentis were detected in adults and in 1-and 2-year-old children, whereas negative correlations between B. longum and B. breve were characteristic for newborns and 4-month-old infants. The highly structured age-related development of and correlation networks between bifidobacterial species during the first 2 years of life mirrors their different or competing nutritional requirements, which in turn may be associated with specific biological functions in the development of healthy gut.

Variation in Consumption of Human Milk Oligosaccharides by Infant Gut-Associated Strains of Bifidobacterium breve

“…The dominance of B. breve in the gut community has been supported by several studies, especially in breast-fed infants (11,14), where this species together with B. longum subsp. longum and B. longum subsp.…”

“…infantis, B. longum subsp. longum, Bifidobacterium catenulatum, Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum, and Bifidobacterium bifidum are the species most frequently detected in breast-fed infant feces (11,14,33). In general, B. breve and B. longum subsp.…”

Fecal calprotectin level in healthy children aged less than 4 years in South Korea

“…Originally, the fetal gastrointestinal (GI) tract is sterile. The establishment of the gut microbiota is immediately initiated at birth and characterized by a dynamic succession of bacterial populations until a homeostatic adult‐like microbiota is established by the age of 2–3 years . Thus, these high basal calprotectin levels could be due to a higher intestinal permeability, the establishment of gut flora, and a response to alimentary antigens, as well as to the colonization of the gut by commensal microbes, which help to prevent enteric pathogen infections and block the interactions between the pathogens and the host cells.…”

Intestinal Microbiota in Breast-Fed Infants

“…Various studies have shown that Bifidobacterium is a predominant genus in the microbiota of breast-fed infants (Harmsen et al, 2000;Yatsunenko et al, 2012). longum (B. longum) and, to a lesser extent, Bifidobacterium catenulatum, Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum, and Bifidobacterium bifidum (Avershina et al, 2013;Ruiz-Moyano et al, 2013;Turroni et al, 2012a). infantis (B. infantis), Bifidobacterium longum subsp.…”