Neonatal exposure to a wild-derived microbiome protects mice against diet-induced obesity

Obesity and its consequences are among the greatest challenges in healthcare. The gut microbiome is recognized as a key factor in the pathogenesis of obesity. Using a mouse model, we show here that a wild-derived microbiome protects against excessive weight gain, severe fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome during a 10-week course of high-fat diet. This phenotype is transferable only during the first weeks of life. In adult mice, neither transfer nor severe disturbance of the wild-type microbiome modifies the metabolic response to a high-fat diet. The protective phenotype is associated with increased secretion of metabolic hormones and increased energy expenditure through activation of brown adipose tissue. Thus, we identify a microbiome that protects against weight gain and its negative consequences through metabolic programming in early life. Translation of these results to humans may identify early-life therapeutics that protect against obesity.