Biology subjects

Murray, D. M.

Publications and source records attributed to Murray, D. M..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Infant gut microbiomes contribute to metabolic states that impact brain function

Alterations in the gut microbiome are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, but causal mechanisms and therapeutic strategies remain undefined. Here, we demonstrate that human infant microbiomes isolated during the first six months of life drive behavioral impairments in mice and that microbiota-based interventions restore mice to normal behavior. Early-life microbiomes from twelve infants who later exhibited cognitive deficits at 2 years old (low-scoring) transferred adverse metabolic, brain, and behavioral phenotypes to mice, in contrast to microbiomes from twenty-three cognitively typical or high-scoring infants. Deficits in mice were rescued by fecal microbiota transplant from high-scoring infants or a rationally designed consortium that promoted amino acid levels. We confirmed lower fecal amino acid concentrations in low-scoring infants and replicated the association between early-life microbiome composition and cognitive outcomes in a second geographically independent infant cohort. Altogether, we discovered an early-life microbiome-mediated metabolic state causally linked to cognitive deficits and amenable to microbial intervention.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2024

Early life microbial succession in the gut follows common patterns in humans across the globe

Characterizing the dynamics of microbial community succession in the infant gut microbiome is crucial for understanding child health and development, but no normative model currently exists. Here, we estimate child age using gut microbial taxonomic relative abundances from metagenomes, with high temporal resolution ({+/-}3 months) for the first 1.5 years of life. Using 3,154 samples from 1,827 infants across 12 countries, we trained a random forest model, achieving a root mean square error of 2.61 months. We identified key taxonomic predictors of age, including declines in Bifidobacterium spp. and increases in Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Lachnospiraceae. Microbial succession patterns are conserved across infants from diverse human populations, suggesting universal developmental trajectories. Functional analysis confirmed trends in key microbial genes involved in feeding transitions and dietary exposures. This model provides a normative benchmark of "microbiome age" for assessing early gut maturation that can be used alongside other measures of child development.

microbiology↗