Communications Biology (Oct 2021)

Microbial community networks across body sites are associated with susceptibility to respiratory infections in infants

  • Marta Reyman,
  • Melanie Clerc,
  • Marlies A. van Houten,
  • Kayleigh Arp,
  • Mei Ling J. N. Chu,
  • Raiza Hasrat,
  • Elisabeth A. M. Sanders,
  • Debby Bogaert

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-02755-1
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 4, no. 1
pp. 1 – 11

Abstract

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In order to assess the extent by which microbial communities from multiple body sites are linked and related to disease susceptibility, Reyman and Clerc et al. combined 16S-based rRNA sequencing data from 112 healthy, term born infants, spanning three body sites (oral cavity, nasopharynx, gut) over the first six months of life. They demonstrate a strong association between network structure and species and susceptibility to respiratory tract infections, suggesting a crucial role of cross-niche microbial connections in respiratory health.