Bioinformatics Seminar
Time:
Venue: Na
19 November 2019
NaType 1 diabetes in pregnancy is associated with distinct changes in the composition and function of the gut microbiome
Alexandra SchulzeWEHI Bioinformatics
The gut microbiome shapes immune system development. Consequently ; abnormal microbiome development or deviation from health may predispose infants to immune-inflammatory disorders such as type 1 diabetes (T1D). The pregnancy-birth Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity (ENDIA) study provides the opportunity to understand how the mother’s microbiome and environment (diet ; antibiotic use ; etc) during pregnancy influences the infant's microbiome ; and ultimately the risk for T1D.
In faecal samples from ENDIA mothers ; collected longitudinally during pregnancy ; we investigated: 1) the gut microbiome taxonomic diversity and composition in mothers with and without T1D ; 2) the functional potential of the microbiome of T1D and non-T1D women during pregnancy and 3) the stability of the gut microbiome during and after pregnancy. Whole shotgun metagenome sequencing was performed in cross-pregnancy samples from 32 mothers (16 with T1D) to obtain taxonomic and functional profiles of the gut microbiome. Generalised Estimating Equations (GEEs) and Permutational Analysis of Variance (PERMANOVA) were employed to test for differences in diversity and composition between groups ; respectively. Linear models were used for the detection of differentially abundant taxa.
We found significant differences in the gut microbial community composition at the taxonomic and functional levels in women with and without T1D during pregnancy. T1D mothers had decreased and increased abundances of bacteria with anti- and pro-inflammatory properties ; respectively. Frequently ; the abundance of these bacteria changed throughout pregnancy in opposite directions in T1D and non-T1D women and were differentially abundant by trimester 3. Concordantly ; some functional categories significantly underrepresented in T1D mothers relate to the production of anti-inflammatory compounds (e.g. butyrate) and B-group vitamins. Our study not only revealed that changes in the microbiome occur across pregnancy ; but that these are distinctive in women with T1D ; suggesting that they may relate to the higher incidence of maternal and foetal complications in the T1D pregnancy.;;;