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Mothers Secretor Status Affects Development of Childrens Microbiota Composition and Function: A Pilot Study
Paula Smith-Brown1, Mark Morrison2, Lutz Krause2
1Children's Nutrition Research Centre, Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Plos One
|September 20, 2016
Summary
Mothers' and children's secretor status impact gut microbiota composition by age 3. Breastfeeding duration and secretor status influence microbial diversity and specific bacteria like Bifidobacterium.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Human Health
- Genetics
Background:
- Early life environment influences long-term health via gut microbiota modulation.
- Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs) in breast milk are crucial for infant gut microbiota development.
- Maternal secretor status affects HMO composition, potentially impacting infant gut microbial colonization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of maternal and child secretor status on gut microbiota composition.
- To examine the role of breastfeeding duration in relation to secretor status and microbiota development.
- To assess microbiota composition at 2 to 3 years of age.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 37 children and 17 mothers for the pilot study.
- Determined secretor status using hemagglutination inhibition assay on blood and saliva.
- Analyzed fecal microbiota composition via 16S rRNA gene sequencing.
Main Results:
- Child and maternal secretor statuses were determined (71.4% and 64.7% secretors, respectively).
- Secretor status significantly associated with microbiota composition (Unweighted UniFrac distances).
- Prevotella was absent in secretor children and children of secretor mothers; Bifidobacterium increased in exclusively breastfed children of secretor mothers.
Conclusions:
- Maternal and child secretor status significantly impact children's gut microbiota composition at 2-3 years of age.
- Breastfeeding duration and secretor status interact to influence microbial community structure.
- Specific bacterial groups, including HMO consumers, are differentially affected by secretor status.
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