Maternal Microbiota Can Affect Fetal Development
Published:28 Nov.2023 Source:University of Helsinki
The microbiota of the mother or dam is thought to be important for the development and health of her offspring. However, so far little is known about how interactions with the microbiota begin and what the mechanisms of action are.
A collaborative study carried out at the Universities of Helsinki, Eastern Finland and Turku investigated how the maternal microbiota affects fetal development by comparing the foetuses of normal and germ-free mouse dams living in a sterile environment. The researchers measured gene expression and the concentrations of small-molecular compounds, or metabolites, in the fetal intestine, brain and placenta.
The researchers demonstrated that there were considerable differences in gene expression in the intestine, brain and placenta of the foetuses of germ-free and normal mouse dams. In the gut, genes associated with the immune system and host-microbe interactions were less active in the foetuses of germ-free dams. There were significant differences in the expression of genes in the brain associated with the development and functioning of the nervous system. In the placenta, there were differences in the expression of several important genes that regulate pregnancy. The differences were more extensive in male foetuses, indicating that they may be more sensitive to the effects of the maternal microbiota, at least in mice.