The core phageome and its interrelationship with preterm human milk lipids

Phages and lipids in human milk (HM) may benefit preterm infant health by preventing gastrointestinal pathobiont overgrowth and microbiome modulation. Lipid association may promote vertical transmission of phages to the infant. Despite this, interrelationships between lipids and phages are poorly characterized in preterm HM. Shotgun metagenomics and untargeted lipidomics of phage and lipid profiles from 99 preterm HM samples reveals that phages are abundant and prevalent from the first week and throughout the first 100 days of lactation. Phage-host richness of preterm HM increases longitudinally. Core phage communities characterized by Staphylococcus- and Propionibacterium-infecting phages are significantly correlated with long-chain fatty acid abundances over lactational age. We report here a phage-lipid interaction in preterm HM, highlighting the potential importance of phage carriage in preterm HM. These results reveal possible strategies for phage carriage in HM and their importance in early-life microbiota development.

Automated summary

The interaction between lipids and phages in preterm human milk is crucial for the health of premature infants, as it can prevent the overgrowth of harmful bacteria and modulate the microbiome. The study reveals that phages are abundant in preterm milk from the first week and throughout the first 100 days of lactation. The core phage communities, characterized by Staphylococcus- and Propionibacterium-infecting phages, are significantly correlated with the abundance of long-chain fatty acids over time. These findings highlight the importance of phage carriage in preterm milk and its impact on early-life microbiota development.