TY - JOUR

T1 - Key bacterial taxa determine longitudinal dynamics of aromatic amino acid catabolism in infants' gut

AU - Laursen, Martin F

AU - Sinha, Anurag K

AU - Pedersen, Mikael

AU - Roager, Henrik Munch

N1 - CURIS 2023 NEXS 143

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - The development of the gut microbiota in early life is linked to metabolic, neuronal, and immunological development. Recent studies have shown that bacterial production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and aromatic amino acid (AAA) catabolites in the gut can mediate host-microbe interactions. However, the dynamics of these microbiota-derived metabolites and the key bacterial taxa producing AAA catabolites during infancy are largely unknown. Here, we investigated the longitudinal dynamics of the microbiota and microbiota-derived SCFAs and AAA catabolites in more than 200 fecal samples from 25 healthy breast- or mixed-fed Danish infants during the first 6 months of life. We found that the gut microbiota composition and metabolism were highly individual but showed significant development over time. SCFAs and specific groups of AAA catabolites showed distinct temporal abundance patterns. Furthermore, we identified bacterial taxa responsible for the generation of AAA catabolites by associating the dynamics of gut microbial taxa and AAA catabolites and subsequently validating these associations in vitro by cultivation of strains representing the associated taxa. In addition to specific Bifidobacterium species being the main producers of aromatic lactic acids, we identified Peptostreptococcus anaerobius as the main producer of aromatic propionic acids, Ruminococcus gnavus as a main producer of tryptamine, and Enterococcus species as main tyramine producers in infants' gut. Thus, our results showcase the temporal dynamics of key gut microbial metabolites in early life and demonstrate that the appearance and abundance of specific AAA catabolites result from the appearance and abundance of specific key bacterial taxa in infants' gut.

AB - The development of the gut microbiota in early life is linked to metabolic, neuronal, and immunological development. Recent studies have shown that bacterial production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and aromatic amino acid (AAA) catabolites in the gut can mediate host-microbe interactions. However, the dynamics of these microbiota-derived metabolites and the key bacterial taxa producing AAA catabolites during infancy are largely unknown. Here, we investigated the longitudinal dynamics of the microbiota and microbiota-derived SCFAs and AAA catabolites in more than 200 fecal samples from 25 healthy breast- or mixed-fed Danish infants during the first 6 months of life. We found that the gut microbiota composition and metabolism were highly individual but showed significant development over time. SCFAs and specific groups of AAA catabolites showed distinct temporal abundance patterns. Furthermore, we identified bacterial taxa responsible for the generation of AAA catabolites by associating the dynamics of gut microbial taxa and AAA catabolites and subsequently validating these associations in vitro by cultivation of strains representing the associated taxa. In addition to specific Bifidobacterium species being the main producers of aromatic lactic acids, we identified Peptostreptococcus anaerobius as the main producer of aromatic propionic acids, Ruminococcus gnavus as a main producer of tryptamine, and Enterococcus species as main tyramine producers in infants' gut. Thus, our results showcase the temporal dynamics of key gut microbial metabolites in early life and demonstrate that the appearance and abundance of specific AAA catabolites result from the appearance and abundance of specific key bacterial taxa in infants' gut.

KW - Aromatic amino acid catabolites;

KW - Infant

KW - Gut microbiota

KW - Longitudinal sampling

KW - Metabolites

KW - Short chain fatty acids

U2 - 10.1080/19490976.2023.2221426

DO - 10.1080/19490976.2023.2221426

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 37357437

VL - 15

JO - Gut Microbes

JF - Gut Microbes

SN - 1949-0976

IS - 1

M1 - 2221426

ER -