Multi-kingdom ecological drivers of microbiota assembly in preterm infants

Area of Science:

• Microbiome research
• Infant health
• Ecology

Background:

• The gut microbiota of preterm infants follows a predictable assembly pattern.
• The factors driving these dynamics are largely unknown.
• Understanding these forces is critical for preterm infant health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the key drivers of gut microbiome assembly in preterm infants.
• To investigate the role of microbe-microbe interactions in shaping the infant gut ecosystem.
• To explore cross-kingdom interactions within the developing microbiota.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal cohort study of 178 preterm infants.
• Multi-kingdom absolute abundance quantification (bacteria, fungi, archaea).
• Ecological modeling and experimental validation (in vitro and in vivo).

Main Results:

• Observed microbial blooms, extinctions, and an inverse correlation between bacterial and fungal loads.
• Demonstrated that specific microbe-microbe interactions, like Klebsiella-Staphylococcus, drive assembly dynamics.
• Identified Candida albicans as inhibiting dominant gut bacterial genera.

Conclusions:

• Predictable gut microbiome assembly in preterm infants is driven by directed, context-dependent microbial interactions.
• Cross-kingdom interactions significantly influence microbiota assembly.
• Microbe-microbe interactions are central to shaping host-associated microbiota, informing targeted interventions.