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Updated: Jun 15, 2026
05:27
An Intestinal Gut Organ Culture System for Analyzing Host-Microbiota Interactions
Published on: June 30, 2021
A key genetic factor for fucosyllactose utilization affects infant gut microbiota development
Takahiro Matsuki1, Kana Yahagi1, Hiroshi Mori2
1Yakult Central Institute, 5-11 Izumi, Kunitachi-shi, Tokyo 186-8650, Japan.
Nature Communications
|June 25, 2016
Summary
Infant gut microbiota development is influenced by fucosyllactose (FL) utilization by Bifidobacteria. Breast milk
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infant Health
- Metabolomics
Background:
- Gut microbiota development is crucial for infant health and host physiology.
- Factors influencing gut microbiota and their impact on metabolites are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze gut microbiota development in infants during the first month of life.
- To investigate the role of human milk oligosaccharide utilization by Bifidobacteria.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of gut microbiota development in 27 infants.
- Investigation of fucosyllactose (FL) utilization by infant Bifidobacteria.
- Genome analysis to identify genetic factors for FL utilization.
Main Results:
- Identified three distinct clusters of gut microbiota development, transitioning to Bifidobacteriaceae dominance.
- Observed significant differences in FL utilization among infant Bifidobacteria.
- Found that FL-utilizing Bifidobacteria colonization is linked to altered infant gut metabolite profiles and microbiota composition.
- Identified an ABC transporter as a key genetic factor for FL utilization.
Conclusions:
- The ability of Bifidobacteria to utilize FL, present in breast milk, influences infant gut microbiota development.
- This interaction may have implications for infant health and potential therapeutic strategies.
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