Faecalibacterium Gut Colonization Is
Accelerated by Presence of Older
Siblings
Martin Frederik Laursen, Rikke Pilmann Laursen, Anni Larnkjær,
Christian Mølgaard, Kim F. Michaelsen, Hanne Frøkiær, Martin Iain Bahl,
Tine Rask Licht
Abstract
Faecalibacterium prausnitzii is a highly abundant human gut microbe in
healthy individuals, but it is present at reduced levels in individuals with gastrointestinal
inflammatory diseases. It has therefore been suggested to constitute a marker
of a healthy gut and is associated with anti-inflammatory properties. However, factors
affecting the colonization of F. prausnitzii in the human gut during early life are
very poorly understood. By analysis of 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing data from
three separate infant study populations, we determined the colonization dynamics
of Faecalibacterium and factors affecting its establishment in the gut. We found that
in particular, the presence of older siblings was consistently associated with Faecalibacterium
gut colonization during late infancy and conclude that acquisition of
Faecalibacterium is very likely to be accelerated through transfer between siblings.
mSphere November/December 2017 Volume 2 Issue 6, DOI 10.1128/mSphere.00448-17