Priority effects, nutrition and milk glycan-metabolic potential drive <i>Bifidobacterium longum</i> subspecies dynamics in the infant gut microbiome.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The initial colonization of the infant gut is a complex process that defines the foundation for a healthy microbiome development. Bifidobacterium longum is one of the first colonizers of newborns' gut, playing a crucial role in the healthy development of both the host and its microbiome. However, B. longum exhibits significant genomic diversity, with subspecies (e.g., Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis and subsp. longum) displaying distinct ecological and metabolic strategies including differential capabilities to break down human milk glycans (HMGs). To promote healthy infant microbiome development, a good understanding of the factors governing infant microbiome dynamics is required.

Methodology

We analyzed newly sequenced g

SUBMITTER: Pucci N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11758915 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature