Milk to mucus: How B. fragilis colonizes the gut

Human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) consumption by the infant microbiota is positively associated with immune health. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Buzun et al. report a mechanism for HMO digestion by Bacteroides fragilis and demonstrate how the same pathway works on intestinal mucus to establish long-term gut residency. Human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) consumption by the infant microbiota is positively associated with immune health. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Buzun et al. report a mechanism for HMO digestion by Bacteroides fragilis and demonstrate how the same pathway works on intestinal mucus to establish long-term gut residency. A bacterial sialidase mediates early-life colonization by a pioneering gut commensalBuzun et al.Cell Host & MicrobeJanuary 15, 2024In BriefBuzun et al. demonstrate that human milk oligosaccharides activate a colonization program in a pioneer gut commensal, Bacteroides fragilis. Orchestrated by the B. fragilis sialidase, NanH, this program mediates the competitive fitness and resilience of B. fragilis during vertical transmission from dams to pups in the murine gut. Full-Text PDF