Human milk variation is shaped by maternal genetics and impacts the infant gut microbiome.

ABSTRACT: Human milk is a complex mix of nutritional and bioactive components that provide complete nourishment for the infant. However, we lack a systematic knowledge of the factors shaping milk composition and how milk variation influences infant health. Here, we characterize relationships between maternal genetics, milk gene expression, milk composition, and the infant fecal microbiome in up to 310 exclusively breastfeeding mother-infant pairs. We identified 482 genetic loci associated with milk gene expression unique to the lactating mammary gland and link these loci to breast cancer risk and human milk oligosaccharide concentration. Integrative analyses uncovered connections between milk gene expression and infant gut microbiome, including an association between the expression of inflammation-r

SUBMITTER: Johnson KE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11602576 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature