title: Fecal Microbial Community Structure Is Stable over Time and Related to Variation in Macronutrient and Micronutrient Intakes in Lactating Women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The fecal microbiota has been characterized in some adult populations, but little is known about its community structure during lactation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We characterized the maternal fecal microbiome during lactation and explored possible mediating factors such as nutrition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fecal samples were collected from 20 lactating women from 2 d to 6 mo postpartum, and bacterial taxa were characterized with the use of high-throughput sequencing. Bacterial community structure (at each taxonomic level) and relations between bacterial taxa and environmental and dietary variables were visualized and analyzed with the use of stacked bar charts, principal component analysis, and multivariate analyses such as nonmetric multidimensional scaling and canonical correlation analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complex bacterial community structure was somewhat similar to those previously published for other adult populations (although there were some notable differences), and there were no clear associations with time postpartum or anthropometric or environmental variables. However, Spearman rank correlations suggested that increased intake of pantothenic acid, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, and vitamin B-12 were related to increased relative abundance of Prevotella (r = 0.45, 0.39, 0.34, and 0.24, respectively; P ≤ 0.01) and decreased relative abundance of Bacteroides (r = -0.55, -0.46, -0.32, and -0.35, respectively; P ≤ 0.01). Intakes of copper, magnesium, manganese, and molybdenum were positively associated with Firmicutes (r = 0.33, 0.38, 0.44, and 0.51, respectively; P ≤ 0.01) and negatively associated with Bacteroidetes (r = -0.38, -0.44, -0.48, and -0.53, respectively; P ≤ 0.01). Overall, data consistently suggest that increased consumption of a more nutrient- and calorie-rich diet was positively associated with relative abundance of Firmicutes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The fecal microbiome of lactating women is relatively stable in the postpartum period and somewhat similar to that of other adult populations. Variation in dietary constituents may be related to that of relative abundance of individual bacterial taxa. Controlled dietary intervention studies will be required to determine whether these associations are causal in nature.
authors: School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA; and.
authors: Janae M
authors: JM
authors: Carrothers
authors: School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA; and.
authors: Mara A
authors: MA
authors: York
authors: Department of Animal and Veterinary Science, Program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology.
authors: Sarah L
authors: SL
authors: Brooker
authors: School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA; and.
authors: Kimberly A
authors: KA
authors: Lackey
authors: Department of Animal and Veterinary Science, Program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology.
authors: Janet E
authors: JE
authors: Williams
authors: Statistical Programs, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, and.
authors: Bahman
authors: B
authors: Shafii
authors: Statistical Programs, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, and.
authors: William J
authors: WJ
authors: Price
authors: Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID.
authors: Matthew L
authors: ML
authors: Settles
authors: Department of Animal and Veterinary Science, Program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology.
authors: Mark A
authors: MA
authors: McGuire
authors: School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA; and smcguire@wsu.edu.
authors: Michelle K
authors: MK
authors: McGuire
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004032:Diet; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome; D006801:Humans; D007061:Idaho; D007774:Lactation; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D049590:Postpartum Period; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012423:Rural Health; D014861:Washington
keywords: feces; gastrointestinal; lactation; maternal; microbiome; microbiota; nutrients