Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 26, 2026

09:09
A Method for Targeted 16S Sequencing of Human Milk Samples
Published on: March 23, 2018
10.3K
Human milk oligosaccharide categories define the microbiota composition in human colostrum
J Aakko1,2, H Kumar1, S Rautava3
11 Functional Foods Forum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, Itäinenpitkäkatu 4 A 5 krs., 20014 Turku, Finland.
Beneficial Microbes
|July 21, 2017
Summary
Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) impact milk
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Glycoscience
- Infant Nutrition
Background:
- Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are unique glycans influencing infant gut microbiota.
- The effect of HMOs on the milk's own microbial composition is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between HMOs and microbial composition in human colostrum.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of eleven colostrum samples.
- Quantification of HMOs using high-pressure liquid chromatography.
- Microbiota composition determined by quantitative PCR.
Main Results:
- Higher total HMO concentration correlated with increased Bifidobacterium spp.
- Specific HMO types showed associations with Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium longum group, Akkermansia muciniphila, and Staphylococcus aureus.
- Results suggest HMOs influence specific microbial groups within human milk.
Conclusions:
- HMOs may shape the milk's microbial community.
- Both HMOs and microbes contribute to the initial infant gut microbiota seeding.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
What is Monogastric Digestion?
76.3K
The human body contains a monogastric digestive system. In a monogastric digestive system, the stomach only contains one chamber in which it digests food. Several other animal species also have monogastric digestive systems, including pigs, horses, dogs, and birds. This chapter, however, focuses on the human digestive system.
76.3K
Anatomy of the Intestines
88.5K
Although digestion of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids may begin in the stomach, it is completed in the intestine. The absorption of nutrients, water, and electrolytes from food and drink also occurs in the intestine. The intestines can be divided into two structurally distinct organs—the small and large intestines.
Small Intestines
The small intestine is an ~7 meter-long tube with an inner diameter of just 2.5 cm. Since most nutrients are absorbed here, the inner lining of the...
Small Intestines
The small intestine is an ~7 meter-long tube with an inner diameter of just 2.5 cm. Since most nutrients are absorbed here, the inner lining of the...
88.5K
Oligosaccharide Assembly
3.7K
Protein glycosylation starts in the ER lumen and continues in the Golgi apparatus. Glycosyltransferases catalyze the addition of sugar molecules or glycosylation of proteins. Usually, these enzymes add sugars to the hydroxyl groups of selected serine or threonine residues to form O-linked glycans or the amino groups of asparagine residues to form N-linked glycans. Different positions on the same polypeptide chain can contain differently linked glycans.
Multiple sugar molecules that may or may...
Multiple sugar molecules that may or may...
3.7K
Bacterial Phylum Firmicutes
1.1K
Firmicutes is a diverse phylum of Gram-positive bacteria characterized by a low GC content in their genomes. This phylum includes organisms with monoderm or diderm cell envelopes, highlighting a complex evolutionary history. Firmicutes comprises several major orders, including Lactobacillales, Clostridiales, and Bacillales, which exhibit remarkable diversity in their morphology, metabolism, and ecological roles.The order Lactobacillales includes lactic acid bacteria, which are fermentative...
1.1K
Bacterial Phylum Tenericutes
523
The phylum Tenericutes, which includes the single class Mollicutes, comprises bacteria that lack cell walls. The term "Mollicutes" derives from the Latin word mollis, meaning "soft." These organisms are among the smallest known and are commonly referred to as mycoplasmas due to the prominence of the genus Mycoplasma, which includes well-known human pathogens. Despite their inability to stain gram-positively (a result of their lack of cell walls), mycoplasmas are phylogenetically related to the...
523
Bacterial Flora of the Large Intestine
1.8K
The gut microbiome is formed by a vast and diverse community of bacteria that colonizes our large intestine. These bacteria start residing in the gut from birth and continue diversifying throughout life, influenced by factors such as diet, lifestyle, and stress. The gut bacterial community also includes bacteria from food and those that enter the colon through the anus.
The normal gut flora of the colon plays a critical role in generating essential vitamins such as vitamins K, B5, and B7.
The normal gut flora of the colon plays a critical role in generating essential vitamins such as vitamins K, B5, and B7.
1.8K

