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Context and challenges

It has been suggested that there is a critical period during which any disturbances to microbiota-host interactions may cause irreversible harm to the priming process in the host, thus preventing the establishment of healthy homeostasis.

During the early years of life, the gut microbiota is mainly fashioned by vertical transmission from mother to infant. Weaning is a crucial process in the maternal microbial imprint, which has an impact on primocolonisation. There is currently a trend in Western human populations, and in livestock production, to advance the start of weaning, which may have a direct impact on neonatal health. Indeed, although piglets undergoing early weaning are susceptible to diarrhoea, the effects of early weaning on human health are not as clearly established.

Goals

During the MicroWean project, we plan to develop a mouse model for early weaning in human and pig hosts.

We will be studying:

• How vertical transmission of the microbiota is affected by early weaning,
• The microbial functions that are disturbed by this phenomenon and the effects on the host.
• Further, in order to determine how changes to the microbiota can be transmitted, the mice will be followed over several generations.
• Finally, we shall try to restore altered vertical transmission of the microbiota using a nutritional approach.

This project will provide a solid proof of concept for future application to human and swine health by identifying potentially useful biomarkers and nutritional approaches for the management of these complex systems.

INRAE partners

Non INRAE partners