Chemistry

Fucosylation

Akkermansia

Fucose

Biochemistry

Bifidobacterium breve

Gut flora

Microbiology

Firmicutes

Fucosyltransferase

Lactobacillus

Bifidobacterium

16S ribosomal RNA

Biology

Gene

Lachnospiraceae

Fermentation

Glycoprotein

Bifidobacterium bifidum

mBio

The maternal milk glycobiome is crucial for shaping the gut microbiota of infants. Although high core fucosylation catalyzed by fucosyltransferase 8 (Fut8) is a general feature of human milk glycoproteins, its role in the formation of a healthy microbiota has not been evaluated. In this study, we found that the core-fucosylated N-glycans in milk of Chinese mothers selectively promoted the colonization of specific gut microbial groups, such as Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp. in their breast-fed infants during lactation. Compared with Fut8+/+ (WT) mouse-fed neonates, the offspring fed by Fut8+/- maternal mice had a distinct gut microbial profile, which was featured by a significant reduction of Lactobacillus spp., Bacteroides spp., and Bifidobacterium spp. and increased abundance of members of the Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group and Akkermansia spp. Moreover, these offspring mice showed a lower proportion of splenic CD19+ CD69+ B lymphocytes and attenuated humoral immune responses upon ovalbumin (OVA) immunization. In vitro studies demonstrated that the chemically synthesized core-fucosylated oligosaccharides possessed the ability to promote the growth of tested Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus strains in minimal medium. The resulting L-fucose metabolites, lactate and 1,2-propanediol, could promote the activation of B cells via the B cell receptor (BCR)-mediated signaling pathway.IMPORTANCE This study provides novel evidence for the critical role of maternal milk protein glycosylation in shaping early-life gut microbiota and promoting B cell activation of neonates. The special core-fucosylated oligosaccharides might be promising prebiotics for the personalized nutrition of infants.

Core Fucosylation of Maternal Milk N-Glycan Evokes B Cell Activation by Selectively Promoting the <scp>l</scp> -Fucose Metabolism of Gut <i>Bifidobacterium</i> spp. and <i>Lactobacillus</i> spp

Core Fucosylation of Maternal Milk N-Glycan Evokes B Cell Activation by Selectively Promoting the l -Fucose Metabolism of Gut Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp