Structure and function of the healthy pre-adolescent pediatric gut microbiome.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The gut microbiome influences myriad host functions, including nutrient acquisition, immune modulation, brain development, and behavior. Although human gut microbiota are recognized to change as we age, information regarding the structure and function of the gut microbiome during childhood is limited. Using 16S rRNA gene and shotgun metagenomic sequencing, we characterized the structure, function, and variation of the healthy pediatric gut microbiome in a cohort of school-aged, pre-adolescent children (ages 7-12 years). We compared the healthy pediatric gut microbiome with that of healthy adults previously recruited from the same region (Houston, TX, USA).

Results

Although healthy children and adults harbored similar numbers of taxa and functional genes, their com

SUBMITTER: Hollister EB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4550057 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature