Modelling the effect of birth and feeding modes on the development of human gut microbiota.

ABSTRACT: The human gut microbiota is transmitted from mother to infant through vaginal birth and breastfeeding. Bifidobacterium, a genus that dominates the infants' gut, is adapted to breast milk in its ability to metabolize human milk oligosaccharides; it is regarded as a mutualist owing to its involvement in the development of the immune system. The composition of microbiota, including the abundance of Bifidobacteria, is highly variable between individuals and some microbial profiles are associated with diseases. However, whether and how birth and feeding practices contribute to such variation remains unclear. To understand how early events affect the establishment of microbiota, we develop a mathematical model of two types of Bifidobacteria and a generic compartment of commensal competito

SUBMITTER: Xiong X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7892411 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature