Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA.
Department of Nutrition Science, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA.
Environ Microbiol. 2024 Jun;26(6):e16664. doi: 10.1111/1462-2920.16664.
Milk is a complex biochemical fluid that includes macronutrients and microbiota, which, together, are known to facilitate infant growth, mediate the colonization of infant microbiomes, and promote immune development. Examining factors that shape milk microbiomes and milk-nutrient interplay across host taxa is critical to resolving the evolution of the milk environment. Using a comparative approach across four cercopithecine primate species housed at three facilities under similar management conditions, we test for the respective influences of the local environment (housing facility) and host species on milk (a) macronutrients (fat, sugar, and protein), (b) microbiomes (16S rRNA), and (c) predicted microbial functions. We found that milk macronutrients were structured according to host species, while milk microbiomes and predicted function were strongly shaped by the local environment and, to a lesser extent, host species. The milk microbiomes of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) at two different facilities more closely resembled those of heterospecific facility-mates compared to conspecifics at a different facility. We found similar, facility-driven patterns of microbial functions linked to physiology and immune modulation, suggesting that milk microbiomes may influence infant health and development. These results provide novel insight into the complexity of milk and its potential impact on infants across species and environments.
牛奶是一种复杂的生化液体，其中包含宏量营养素和微生物群，这些物质共同促进婴儿的生长、调节婴儿微生物组的定植，并促进免疫发育。研究影响牛奶微生物组和牛奶营养相互作用的因素对于解决牛奶环境的演化至关重要。我们采用跨四个长尾猕猴物种的比较方法，这些物种分别在三个设施中饲养，管理条件相似，我们检验了当地环境（饲养设施）和宿主物种对牛奶（a）宏量营养素（脂肪、糖和蛋白质）、（b）微生物组（16S rRNA）和（c）预测微生物功能的各自影响。我们发现，牛奶宏量营养素的结构与宿主物种有关，而牛奶微生物组和预测的功能则主要受到当地环境的影响，其次是宿主物种。两个不同设施的恒河猴（Macaca mulatta）的牛奶微生物组与异种种属设施的同伴更相似，而与不同设施的同种种属的同伴则不太相似。我们发现与生理和免疫调节相关的微生物功能存在类似的、由设施驱动的模式，这表明牛奶微生物组可能会影响婴儿的健康和发育。这些结果为牛奶的复杂性及其在不同物种和环境下对婴儿的潜在影响提供了新的见解。
