Mother-to-Infant Microbial Transmission from Different Body Sites Shapes the Developing Infant Gut Microbiome

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Human Microbiome Research
• Infant Health

Background:

• The infant microbiome is crucial for host-microbiome symbiosis and overall health.
• Maternal microbial reservoirs are implicated in infant microbiome development.
• Specific transmission routes and sources of early infant microbes remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To longitudinally investigate mother-to-infant microbial transmission routes.
• To identify the sources and persistence of pioneering microbes in the infant microbiome.
• To understand the ecological adaptation of maternal microbes in the infant gut.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal sampling of 25 mother-infant pairs from birth to 4 months postpartum.
• Analysis of microbiomes across multiple body sites.
• Strain-level metagenomic profiling to track microbial transmission and colonization.

Main Results:

• Rapid microbial influx at birth followed by strong selection in early life.
• Transient colonization by maternal skin and vaginal microbes.
• Continued microbial acquisition from distinct maternal sources post-birth.
• Maternal gut microbes demonstrated greater persistence and ecological adaptation in the infant gut.

Conclusions:

• Maternal gut microbes are key colonizers of the infant gut.
• Specific transmission routes, particularly from the maternal gut, are integral to infant microbiome development.
• Understanding these transmission dynamics is vital for promoting infant health and symbiosis.