Article Synopsis
- Researchers studied the gut microbiomes of Hadza hunter-gatherer infants in Tanzania, revealing unique development patterns compared to infants from industrialized countries.
- Over 20% of the microbial genomes in Hadza infants were newly identified species, indicating a diverse microbiome influenced by their lifestyle.
- The findings highlight significant differences in the microbiomes between nonindustrialized populations and those in wealthy nations, emphasizing the need for more research in diverse cultural contexts.
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Article Abstract
Infant microbiome assembly has been intensely studied in infants from industrialized nations, but little is known about this process in nonindustrialized populations. We deeply sequenced infant stool samples from the Hadza hunter-gatherers of Tanzania and analyzed them in a global meta-analysis. Infant microbiomes develop along lifestyle-associated trajectories, with more than 20% of genomes detected in the Hadza infant gut representing novel species. Industrialized infants-even those who are breastfed-have microbiomes characterized by a paucity of and gene cassettes involved in human milk utilization. Strains within lifestyle-associated taxonomic groups are shared between mother-infant dyads, consistent with early life inheritance of lifestyle-shaped microbiomes. The population-specific differences in infant microbiome composition and function underscore the importance of studying microbiomes from people outside of wealthy, industrialized nations.
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| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9894631 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abj2972 | DOI Listing |
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