Researchers have found a new way that microbes in the maternal gut can be transmitted to the infant gut during the perinatal period, which starts before birth and continues for a few weeks after birth. During this Window of Opportunity, this horizontal gene transfer allows maternal microbial strains to affect the function of the infant microbiome without actually transferring the microbial strains themselves. This study, published in the journal Cell, provides a detailed understanding of gut colonization dynamics that influence infant development before and after birth. It is the first study to describe the transfer of mobile genetic elements between maternal and infant microbiomes, and also links gut metabolites, bacteria, and breast milk substrates for the first time. The development of the infant gut microbiome follows a predictable pattern, beginning with the transmission of microbes from the mother at birth. The perinatal period is a critical time for cognitive and immune system development, which is influenced by maternal and infant gut microbiota and their metabolites. However, the co-development of microbiomes and metabolomes during the perinatal period and the factors that determine this process are not well understood.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2022.11.023