Maternal inheritance of bifidobacterial communities and bifidophages in infants through vertical transmission

Sabrina Duranti; Gabriele Andrea Lugli; Leonardo Mancabelli; Federica Armanini; Francesca Turroni; Kieran James; Pamela Ferretti; Valentina Gorfer; Chiara Ferrario; Christian Milani; Marta Mangifesta; Rosaria Anzalone; Moreno Zolfo; Alice Viappiani; Edoardo Pasolli; Ilaria Bariletti; Rosarita Canto; Rosanna Clementi; Marina Cologna; Tiziana Crifò; Giuseppina Cusumano; Sabina Fedi; Stefania Gottardi; Claudia Innamorati; Caterina Masè; Daniela Postai; Daniela Savoi; Massimo Soffiati; Saverio Tateo; Anna Pedrotti; Nicola Segata; Douwe van Sinderen; Marco Ventura

Maternal inheritance of bifidobacterial communities and bifidophages in infants through vertical transmission

2017

Abstract Background The correct establishment of the human gut microbiota represents a crucial development that commences at birth. Different hypotheses propose that the infant gut microbiota is derived from, among other sources, the mother’s fecal/vaginal microbiota and human milk. Results The composition of bifidobacterial communities of 25 mother-infant pairs was investigated based on an internal transcribed spacer (ITS) approach, combined with cultivation-mediated and genomic analyses. We identified bifidobacterial strains/communities that are shared between mothers and their corresponding newborns. Notably, genomic analyses together with growth profiling assays revealed that bifidobacterial strains that had been isolated from human milk are genetically adapted to utilize human milk glycans. In addition, we identified particular bacteriophages specific of bifidobacterial species that are common in the viromes of mother and corresponding child. Conclusions This study highlights the transmission of bifidobacterial communities from the mother to her child and implies human milk as a potential vehicle to facilitate this acquisition. Furthermore, these data represent the first example of maternal inheritance of bifidobacterial phages, also known as bifidophages in infants following a vertical transmission route.

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