Development of the digestive system - Experimental challenges and approaches of infant lipid digestion

At least during the first 6 months after birth, the nutrition of infants should ideally consist of human milk which provides 40-60 % of energy from lipids. Beyond energy, human milk also delivers lipids with a specific functionality, such as essential fatty acids (FA), phospholipids, and cholesterol. Healthy development, especially of the...

Analysis of infant isolates of Bifidobacterium breve by comparative genome hybridization indicates the existence of new subspecies with marked infant specificity

A total of 20 Bifidobacterium strains were isolated from fecal samples of 4 breast- and bottle-fed infants and all were characterized as Bifidobacterium breve based on 16S rRNA gene sequence and metabolic analysis. These isolates were further characterized and compared to the type strains of B. breve and 7 other Bifidobacterium spp. by...

Bifidobacterium breve-HT-29 cell line interaction: Modulation of TNF-a induced gene expression

To provide insight in the molecular basis for intestinal host-microbe interactions, we determined the genome-wide transcriptional response of human intestinal epithelial cells following exposure to cells of Bifidobacterium breve. To select an appropriate test system reflecting inflammatory conditions, the responsiveness to TNF-a was compared in...

Mixed-species genomic microarray analysis of fecal samples reveals differential transcriptional responses of bifidobacteria in breast- And formula-fed infants

Although their exact function remains enigmatic, bifidobacteria are among the first colonizers of the newborn infant gut and further develop into abundant communities, notably in response to diet. Therefore, the transcriptional responses of bifidobacteria in rapidly processed fecal samples from young infants that were fed either breast milk or a...