Cited by 330Gut microbiota and healthBirth, Development, and HealthReproductive tract infections research

Alterations in the Vaginal Microbiome by Maternal Stress Are Associated With Metabolic Reprogramming of the Offspring Gut and Brain

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Jašarević, Eldin, Howerton, Christopher L., Howard, Christopher D., Bale, Tracy L.·2015·Endocrinology

Abstract

The neonate is exposed to the maternal vaginal microbiota during parturition, providing the primary source for normal gut colonization, host immune maturation, and metabolism. These early interactions between the host and microbiota occur during a critical window of neurodevelopment, suggesting early life as an important period of cross talk between the developing gut and brain. Because perturbations in the prenatal environment such as maternal stress increase neurodevelopmental disease risk, disruptions to the vaginal ecosystem could be a contributing factor in significant and long-term consequences for the offspring. Therefore, to examine the hypothesis that changes in the vaginal microbiome are associated with effects on the offspring gut microbiota and on the developing brain, we used genomic, proteomic and metabolomic technologies to examine outcomes in our mouse model of early prenatal stress. Multivariate modeling identified broad proteomic changes to the maternal vaginal environment that influence offspring microbiota composition and metabolic processes essential for normal neurodevelopment. Maternal stress altered proteins related to vaginal immunity and abundance of Lactobacillus, the prominent taxa in the maternal vagina. Loss of maternal vaginal Lactobacillus resulted in decreased transmission of this bacterium to offspring. Further, altered microbiota composition in the neonate gut corresponded with changes in metabolite profiles involved in energy balance, and with region- and sex-specific disruptions of amino acid profiles in the developing brain. Taken together, these results identify the vaginal microbiota as a novel factor by which maternal stress may contribute to reprogramming of the developing brain that may predispose individuals to neurodevelopmental disorders.

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  • Animal models demonstrate microbiome changes in response to maternal stress are passed onto offspring at birth, setting in motion microbial dysbiosis that persists into adulthood.

    “Animal models demonstrate that microbiome changes in response to maternal stress are passed onto offspring at birth, setting in motion microbial dysbiosis that persists into adulthood (105–107).”
  • Prenatal stress induced depressive-like behavior in adulthood mice, which led to long-lasting change of enteric microbiota composition associated with exaggerated HPA axis response to stress.

    “Prenatal stress induced depressive-like behavior in adulthood mice, which led to a long-lasting change of the enteric microbiota composition associated with an exaggerated HPA axis response to stress [353][354][355].”
  • Jašarević et al. demonstrated changes in the microbiome of offspring and alterations in the metabolome of the gut and brain.

    “Jašarević et al. demonstrated changes in the microbiome of these offspring, as well as alterations in the metabolome of the gut and brain (343).”

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  1. Trygg J, Wold S. Orthogonal projections to latent structures (OPLS). J Chemom. 2002;16:119 -128.
  2. Giulivi C, Zhang YF, Omanska-Klusek A, et al. Mitochondrial dys- function in autism. JAMA. 2010;304:2389 -2396.
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Authors
Jašarević, E., Howerton, C. L., Howard, C. D., & Bale, T. L.
Affiliations
University of Pennsylvania (US)
Corresponding author
Bale, Tracy L.
Venue
Endocrinology
Published
2015-06-16
Volume
156
Issue
9
Pages
3265-3276
ISSN
  • 0013-7227 (ISSN-L)
  • 1945-7170
OpenAlex
W1906460723
Cited by
329
References
91
Citations by year
2026: 11 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 32 · 2023: 32 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 39 · 2020: 25 · 2019: 40 · 2018: 33 · 2017: 37 · 2016: 35 · 2015: 8
FWCI
16.35
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Endocrinology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • University of Pennsylvania (P30DK19525)
  • National Institutes of Health (5r01mh091258-05, MH104184, DK 19525, MH091258)
  • Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania (P30-DK19525)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (P50MH099910, MH087597, MH 104184, MH 091258, R33MH104184, R01 MH-091258, R21MH104184, R01MH087597)
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (P30 DK 19525, P30DK019525)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Birth, Development, and Health
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Microbiology › Reproductive tract infections research
Keywords
maternal stress, vaginal microbiota, prenatal stress, neonatal gut microbiota, Lactobacillus, brain development, brain metabolomics, amino acid metabolism, energy balance, vaginal immunity, neurodevelopmental disorders, host-microbiota interactions
MeSH terms
Amino Acids, Animals, Brain, Colon, Female, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Pregnancy, Pregnancy, Animal, Random Allocation, Sex Characteristics, Stress, Psychological, Vagina, Mice, 129 Strain, Microbiota

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