Microbial genes passed from mom to baby in unexpected twist!

Scientists have made a fascinating discovery about the relationship between a mother’s microbiome and her infant’s gut microbiome. They found evidence of horizontal gene transfer, which is like a genetic exchange program between the two. Just like friends who swap clothes or music, the microbes in the mother’s gut shared genes with the microbes in the infant’s gut during the perinatal period. This means that the maternal microbial strains influenced the functional abilities of the infant’s microbiome, even though the microbial strains themselves didn’t persist. It’s as if the microbial community was passing knowledge and skills to the next generation! This discovery opens up a whole new world of possibilities for understanding how our microbiomes develop and evolve. To learn more about this groundbreaking research, dive into the fascinating details in the link below!

Researchers have discovered a new mode of vertical mother-to-infant microbiome transmission, where microbes in the maternal gut shared genes with microbes in the infant gut during the perinatal period starting immediately before birth and extending thought the first few weeks after birth. This horizontal gene transfer allowed maternal microbial strains to influence the functional capacity of the infant microbiome, in the absence of persistent transmission of the microbial strains themselves.

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