Association of the gut microbiota mobilome with hospital location and birth weight in preterm infants

作者：Ravi Anuradha; Estensmo Eva Lena F; L' Abee Lund Trine M; Foley Steven L; Allgaier Bernhard; Martin Camilia R; Claud Erika C; Rudi Knut

来源：Pediatric Research, 2017, 82(5): 829-838.

DOI：10.1038/pr.2017.146

BACKGROUND: The preterm infant gut microbiota is vulnerable to different biotic and abiotic factors. Although the development of this microbiota has been extensively studied, the mobilome-i.e. the mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in the gut microbiota-has not been considered. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the association of the mobilome with birth weight and hospital location in the preterm infant gut microbiota.
METHODS: The data set consists of fecal samples from 62 preterm infants with and without necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) from three different hospitals. We analyzed the gut microbiome by using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, shotgun metagenome sequencing, and quantitative PCR. Predictive models and other data analyses were performed using MATLAB and QIIME.
RESULTS: The microbiota composition was significantly different between NEC-positive and NEC-negative infants and significantly different between hospitals. An operational taxanomic unit (OTU) showed strong positive and negative correlation with NEC and birth weight, respectively, whereas none showed significance for mode of delivery. Metagenome analyses revealed high levels of conjugative plasmids with MGEs and virulence genes. Results from quantitative PCR showed that the plasmid signature genes were significantly different between hospitals and in NEC-positive infants.
CONCLUSION: Our results point toward an association of the mobilome with hospital location in preterm infants.

• 出版日期2017-11