Faculty of Education and Natural Sciences, Hedmark University College, Hamar, Norway.
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2013 Jan;79(2):497-507. doi: 10.1128/AEM.02359-12. Epub 2012 Nov 2.
Bifidobacteria are a major microbial component of infant gut microbiota, which is believed to promote health benefits for the host and stimulate maturation of the immune system. Despite their perceived importance, very little is known about the natural development of and possible correlations between bifidobacteria in human populations. To address this knowledge gap, we analyzed stool samples from a randomly selected healthy cohort of 87 infants and their mothers with >90% of vaginal delivery and nearly 100% breast-feeding at 4 months. Fecal material was sampled during pregnancy, at 3 and 10 days, at 4 months, and at 1 and 2 years after birth. Stool samples were predicted to be rich in the species Bifidobacterium adolescentis, B. bifidum, B. dentium, B. breve, and B. longum. Due to high variation, we did not identify a clear age-related structure at the individual level. Within the population as a whole, however, there were clear age-related successions. Negative correlations between the B. longum group and B. adolescentis were detected in adults and in 1- and 2-year-old children, whereas negative correlations between B. longum and B. breve were characteristic for newborns and 4-month-old infants. The highly structured age-related development of and correlation networks between bifidobacterial species during the first 2 years of life mirrors their different or competing nutritional requirements, which in turn may be associated with specific biological functions in the development of healthy gut.
双歧杆菌是婴儿肠道微生物群的主要微生物组成部分，被认为对宿主有益健康，并刺激免疫系统的成熟。尽管它们被认为很重要，但人们对人群中双歧杆菌的自然发育和可能的相关性知之甚少。为了解决这一知识空白，我们分析了 87 名随机选择的健康婴儿及其母亲的粪便样本，这些婴儿的阴道分娩率超过 90%，近 100%的母乳喂养率在 4 个月大时。在怀孕期间、分娩后 3 天和 10 天、4 个月以及出生后 1 年和 2 年采集粪便样本。预测粪便样本富含双歧杆菌属的物种，如双歧杆菌、双歧杆菌、齿双歧杆菌、短双歧杆菌和长双歧杆菌。由于高度变异，我们没有在个体水平上确定与年龄相关的明确结构。然而，在整个人群中，存在着明显的与年龄相关的连续体。在成年人和 1 岁和 2 岁的儿童中，发现长双歧杆菌组与双歧杆菌属之间存在负相关，而长双歧杆菌与短双歧杆菌之间的负相关在新生儿和 4 个月大的婴儿中更为明显。双歧杆菌属物种在生命的头 2 年中与年龄相关的高度结构化发育和相关网络反映了它们不同或竞争的营养需求，这反过来可能与健康肠道发育中的特定生物学功能有关。
