About this research
KAMADA Nobuhiko
- Immunology Frontier Research Center
- Specially Appointed Professor (Full time)
Transmission of maternal oral pathobionts to the infant gut redisposes offspring to exacerbated enteritis
This study by Haraguchi et al. demonstrates that maternal oral dysbiosis increases the risk of intestinal inflammation in offspring. Specifically, periodontal disease promotes the growth of oral pathobionts (e.g., Klebsiella aerogenes), which are then transmitted to the infant gut. This transmission alters gut immunity and increases susceptibility to T-cell-dependent enteritis. Although these maternally transmitted oral pathobionts are eliminated as the gut microbiota matures, the susceptibility to enteritis persists into adulthood.
Outline of this study: Mice born from dams with artificially induced periodontitis (MatOP) are prone to developing inflammatory bowel disease (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
The study suggests that maintaining a healthy maternal microbiota in sites other than the gut (e.g., oral cavity) is crucial for shaping a healthy offspring gut microbiota and for long-term health. It also indicates that the immature gut microbiota in infants allows for the ectopic colonization of maternally transmitted oral pathobionts, which in turn alters T-cell immunity and contributes to the exacerbation of enteritis. Cross-fostering experiments suggest that postnatal exposure to maternal oral pathobionts has a greater impact on predisposing offspring to exacerbated enteritis than maternal systemic inflammation during pregnancy. Furthermore, the study implies that the colonization of K. aerogenes alone does not worsen enteritis, suggesting that "pathogenic imprinting" from the mother plays a more significant role in inducing disease susceptibility.
In summary, this research highlights the long-term impact of maternal oral microbiota health on infant gut health, deepening our understanding of the influence of non-intestinal maternal microbes on offspring health.
The article, “Transmission of maternal oral pathobionts to the infant gut predisposes offspring to exacerbated enteritis,” was published in
Cell Reports (July 16, 2025 online) at DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2025.115974.
