Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 26, 2025

A Murine Model of Fetal Exposure to Maternal Inflammation to Study the Effects of Acute Chorioamnionitis on Newborn Intestinal Development
08:50

A Murine Model of Fetal Exposure to Maternal Inflammation to Study the Effects of Acute Chorioamnionitis on Newborn Intestinal Development

Published on: June 24, 2020

3.8K

Maternal gut microbiota during pregnancy and the composition of immune cells in infancy

Yuan Gao1,2,3, Martin O'Hely1,4, Thomas P Quinn5

  • 1School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia.

Frontiers in Immunology
|October 10, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Maternal gut bacteria during pregnancy influence infant immune cell development. Specific bacterial groups were linked to altered immune cell proportions in newborns, with some effects lasting a year.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiome research
  • Immunology
  • Human developmental biology

Background:

  • Maternal gut microbiota's role in prenatal immune development is established in preclinical models.
  • The relevance of these findings to human infants remains largely unknown.
  • This study investigates the link between maternal gut microbiota during pregnancy and infant immune cell composition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between maternal gut microbiota composition during pregnancy and the immune cell profiles of infants.
  • To explore how maternal gut bacteria influence the development of infant immune systems from birth through the first year of life.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the Barwon Infant Study cohort (n=1074).
  • Collected maternal fecal samples at 36 weeks gestation.
  • Analyzed infant cord and peripheral blood immune cells (birth, 6, 12 months) via flow cytometry.
  • Characterized maternal gut microbiota using 16S rRNA sequencing in a sub-cohort (n=293).
  • Employed compositional data analysis and partial least squares (PLS) regression.

Main Results:

  • Identified six distinct maternal gut microbiota clusters (OTUs).
  • Specific maternal microbial clusters were significantly associated with infant immune cell populations at birth.
  • A cluster dominated by *Dialister, Escherichia*, and *Ruminococcus* correlated with lower granulocytes and higher central naïve CD4+ T cells and naïve regulatory T cells (Tregs).
  • The association between this maternal microbiota cluster and central naïve CD4+ T cells persisted until 12 months of age.

Conclusions:

  • Provides human evidence supporting preclinical findings on the maternal gut microbiota's role in shaping infant immunity.
  • Demonstrates that maternal gut bacteria during pregnancy influence both innate and adaptive immune cell composition in offspring.
  • Highlights the potential impact of the maternal microbiome on early-life immune programming.
Abstract

Keywords:
birth cohortfetal immunitygut microbiotamaternal microbiotaneonatal T cells

More Related Videos

Isolation of Leukocytes from the Murine Tissues at the Maternal-Fetal Interface07:51

Isolation of Leukocytes from the Murine Tissues at the Maternal-Fetal Interface

Published on: May 21, 2015

17.4K
Isolation of Leukocytes from the Human Maternal-fetal Interface08:19

Isolation of Leukocytes from the Human Maternal-fetal Interface

Published on: May 21, 2015

16.2K

Related Concept Videos

Anatomy of the Intestines01:23

Anatomy of the Intestines

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...
73.0K
Development of Immunocompetence01:22

Development of Immunocompetence

The initiation of cell-mediated immunity can be observed as early as the third month of fetal growth, with active antibody-mediated immunity following approximately one month later.
The initial cells that migrate from the fetal thymus settle within the skin and epithelial tissues lining the mouth, digestive tract, and in females, the uterus and vagina. These cells, including skin-based dendritic cells, serve as antigen-presenting cells, playing a key role in T cell activation.
Subsequent T...
421
Transcytosis of IgG01:15

Transcytosis of IgG

Transcytosis is the process in which molecules are internalized by endocytosis, transported across the cell, and released through exocytosis from the opposite end of the cell. Molecules such as insulin, immunoglobulins, and certain nutrients are transferred through the recycling endosomes by recycling and transcytosis.
IgG molecules from a mother undergo transcytosis starting around 13 weeks of gestation. The amount of IgG transferred and entering the fetal blood circulation increases with...
2.8K
Bacterial Flora of the Large Intestine01:29

Bacterial Flora of the Large Intestine

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.
586