Development of Bifidobacterium spp. in infants: Age dependent patterns and correlating factors
Year: 2011
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Bifidobacteria are a major microbial component of infant gut microbiota which is believed to \npromote health benefits for the host and stimulate the maturation of immune system. Despite \nthe importance we know little about the natural development of bifidobacteria in the infant \ngut. To address this question, we analyzed mixed Bifidobacterium clpC gene sequences from \nIMPACT (Immunology and Microbiology in Prevention of Allergy among Children in \nTrondheim) stool samples of 83 infants and their mothers using the novel multivariate \nstatistical MCR-ALS approach. We also developed a novel basecaller script in MATLAB® \nenvironment which simplifies the use of the MCR-ALS method so that manual decoding is no \nlonger required. Faecal material was sampled during the first and the second part of \npregnancy, at 3 days, 10 days, 4 months, 1 year and 2 years after birth. Five dominant \nBifidobacterium species were identified and verified by cloning. Stool samples were predicted \nto be rich in B. adolescentis, B. bifidum, B. dentium, B. breve and B. longum species. The B. \nlongum group consisted of B. longum longum irrespective of age, however B. longum infantis \nwas mostly identified in four-month-old individuals indicating a potential infant-to-infant \nnature of its transmittance. Local Similarity Analysis revealed self-supportive correlations \nbetween Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillales, Clostridium, Proteobacteria and other bacterial \ngroups. The amount of B. breve in infants correlated with the incidence of common cold \ninfections during pregnancy. Development of all Bifidobacterium and B. longum groups had \ncorrelation to the occurrence of vaginal fungal infection during pregnancy. Elevated amounts \nof B. adolescentis in four-month-old infants correlated to high IgE levels and eczema \nsymptoms, while levels of the B. longum group in infants – to eczema. In conclusion, new \npatterns in bifidobacterial development and interaction are described. We believe this new \nknowledge will be important for the future understanding of bifidobacteria in health and \ndisease.
Author: Ekaterina Avershina
Language: English
Topic: Gut microbiota and health
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2464571491