Cited by 149Infant Nutrition and HealthProbiotics and Fermented FoodsGut microbiota and health

A molecular basis for bifidobacterial enrichment in the infant gastrointestinal tract

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Garrido, Daniel, Barile, Daniela, Mills, David A.·2012·Advances in Nutrition

Abstract

Bifidobacteria are commonly used as probiotics in dairy foods. Select bifidobacterial species are also early colonizers of the breast-fed infant colon; however, the mechanism for this enrichment is unclear. We previously showed that Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis is a prototypical bifidobacterial species that can readily utilize human milk oligosaccharides as the sole carbon source. MS-based glycoprofiling has revealed that numerous B. infantis strains preferentially consume small mass oligosaccharides, abundant in human milks. Genome sequencing revealed that B. infantis possesses a bias toward genes required to use mammalian-derived carbohydrates. Many of these genomic features encode enzymes that are active on milk oligosaccharides including a novel 40-kb region dedicated to oligosaccharide utilization. Biochemical and molecular characterization of the encoded glycosidases and transport proteins has further resolved the mechanism by which B. infantis selectively imports and catabolizes milk oligosaccharides. Expression studies indicate that many of these key functions are only induced during growth on milk oligosaccharides and not expressed during growth on other prebiotics. Analysis of numerous B. infantis isolates has confirmed that these genomic features are common among the B. infantis subspecies and likely constitute a competitive colonization strategy used by these unique bifidobacteria. By detailed characterization of the molecular mechanisms responsible, these studies provide a conceptual framework for bifidobacterial persistence and host interaction in the infant gastrointestinal tract mediated in part through consumption of human milk oligosaccharides.

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  1. Moro E. Morphologische und biologische Untersuchung ueber die Darmbakterien des Siiuglings. Jahrb Kinderh. 1905;61:687-734.
  2. Hinz SW, Pastink MI, van den Broek LA, Vincken JP, Voragen AG. Bi- fidobacterium longum endogalactanase liberates galactotriose from type I galactans. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2005;71:5501-10.

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Authors
Garrido, D., Barile, D., & Mills, D. A.
Affiliations
University of California, Davis (US)
Corresponding author
Mills, David A.
Venue
Advances in Nutrition
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2012-05
Volume
3
Issue
3
Pages
415S-421S
ISSN
  • 2156-5376 (ISSN-L)
  • 2161-8313
OpenAlex
W2130086018
Cited by
149
References
77
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 7
FWCI
12.92
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Advances in Nutrition (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • California Dairy Research Foundation
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (R21AT006180)
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD065122, R01HD061923, R01HD059127)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Infant Nutrition and Health
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Probiotics and Fermented Foods
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
Keywords
Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis, Bifidobacterium, infant gut colonization, human milk oligosaccharides, glycoside hydrolases, prebiotics, probiotics, gene expression regulation, competitive colonization
MeSH terms
Bifidobacterium, Breast Feeding, Humans, Infant, Milk, Human, Oligosaccharides, Probiotics, Gastrointestinal Tract, Metagenome, Prebiotics

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