2’-FL and cross-feeding bifidobacteria reshaped the gut microbiota of infants with atopic dermatitis ex vivo and prevented dermatitis in mice post-microbiota transplantation through retinol metabolism activation
2’-Fucosyllactose (2’−FL), a predominant human milk oligosaccharide, plays a crucial role in the development of the infant gut microbiota and immune system. However, the microbiota of infants with atopic dermatitis (AD) often has difficulty utilizing 2’-FL. Here, we found that strains from human mil...
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| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Gut Microbes |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/19490976.2025.2474148 |
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| author | Ce Qi Zhongxia Li Huayu Tu Fang Sun Wenbo Guo Can Di Ruikun He Xiaolei Ze Lintao Zhang Ruijuan Gao Pengyue Hu Wenjing Yang Kexin Li Jiayi Liu Xiaonan Pan Zilu Jin Jin Sun |
| author_facet | Ce Qi Zhongxia Li Huayu Tu Fang Sun Wenbo Guo Can Di Ruikun He Xiaolei Ze Lintao Zhang Ruijuan Gao Pengyue Hu Wenjing Yang Kexin Li Jiayi Liu Xiaonan Pan Zilu Jin Jin Sun |
| author_sort | Ce Qi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 2’-Fucosyllactose (2’−FL), a predominant human milk oligosaccharide, plays a crucial role in the development of the infant gut microbiota and immune system. However, the microbiota of infants with atopic dermatitis (AD) often has difficulty utilizing 2’-FL. Here, we found that strains from human milk, Bifidobacterium bifidum FN120 and Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum FN103, utilized 2’-FL for growth by cross-feeding. Through an ex vivo continuous fermentation system, we found that 2’-FL and cross-feeding bifidobacteria synergistically enhanced the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), particularly acetate and propionate, while reshaping the gut microbiota in infants with AD. The reshaped microbiota was then transplanted into oxazolone-induced mice. We observed that AD symptoms in mice were effectively prevented, with significant changes in the ileum microbiota and increased intestinal SCFA levels. RNA sequencing analysis of Peyer’s patches in the small intestine revealed activation of the retinol metabolic pathway. Nontargeted metabolomics analysis revealed a significant increase in plasma retinoate levels, which correlated markedly with AD-related markers. Collectively, our study demonstrated that supplementation with cross-feeding bifidobacteria and 2’-FL reshaped the gut microbiota, activated retinol metabolic pathways, promoted immune tolerance, and thereby prevented AD. Our findings provide novel insights into the therapeutic potential of combining prebiotics and probiotics to modulate the gut – skin axis and support immune tolerance in early life, offering a promising strategy for infantile AD management and prevention. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dffd3f7f9f6d454dafa9ee13c81fec0a |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1949-0976 1949-0984 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Gut Microbes |
| spelling | doaj-art-dffd3f7f9f6d454dafa9ee13c81fec0a2025-08-20T03:12:56ZengTaylor & Francis GroupGut Microbes1949-09761949-09842025-12-0117110.1080/19490976.2025.24741482’-FL and cross-feeding bifidobacteria reshaped the gut microbiota of infants with atopic dermatitis ex vivo and prevented dermatitis in mice post-microbiota transplantation through retinol metabolism activationCe Qi0Zhongxia Li1Huayu Tu2Fang Sun3Wenbo Guo4Can Di5Ruikun He6Xiaolei Ze7Lintao Zhang8Ruijuan Gao9Pengyue Hu10Wenjing Yang11Kexin Li12Jiayi Liu13Xiaonan Pan14Zilu Jin15Jin Sun16Institute of Nutrition and Health, Qingdao University, Qingdao, ChinaBYHEALTH Institute of Nutrition & Health, Guangzhou, ChinaInstitute of Nutrition and Health, Qingdao University, Qingdao, ChinaPediatrics, Jiaozhou Maternal and Child Health and Family Planning Service Center, Qingdao, ChinaInstitute of Nutrition and Health, Qingdao University, Qingdao, ChinaBYHEALTH Institute of Nutrition & Health, Guangzhou, ChinaBYHEALTH Institute of Nutrition & Health, Guangzhou, ChinaBYHEALTH Institute of Nutrition & Health, Guangzhou, ChinaPediatrics, Jiaozhou Maternal and Child Health and Family Planning Service Center, Qingdao, ChinaInstitute of Nutrition and Health, Qingdao University, Qingdao, ChinaInstitute of Nutrition and Health, Qingdao University, Qingdao, ChinaInstitute of Nutrition and Health, Qingdao University, Qingdao, ChinaInstitute of Nutrition and Health, Qingdao University, Qingdao, ChinaInstitute of Nutrition and Health, Qingdao University, Qingdao, ChinaInstitute of Nutrition and Health, Qingdao University, Qingdao, ChinaInstitute of Nutrition and Health, Qingdao University, Qingdao, ChinaInstitute of Nutrition and Health, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China2’-Fucosyllactose (2’−FL), a predominant human milk oligosaccharide, plays a crucial role in the development of the infant gut microbiota and immune system. However, the microbiota of infants with atopic dermatitis (AD) often has difficulty utilizing 2’-FL. Here, we found that strains from human milk, Bifidobacterium bifidum FN120 and Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum FN103, utilized 2’-FL for growth by cross-feeding. Through an ex vivo continuous fermentation system, we found that 2’-FL and cross-feeding bifidobacteria synergistically enhanced the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), particularly acetate and propionate, while reshaping the gut microbiota in infants with AD. The reshaped microbiota was then transplanted into oxazolone-induced mice. We observed that AD symptoms in mice were effectively prevented, with significant changes in the ileum microbiota and increased intestinal SCFA levels. RNA sequencing analysis of Peyer’s patches in the small intestine revealed activation of the retinol metabolic pathway. Nontargeted metabolomics analysis revealed a significant increase in plasma retinoate levels, which correlated markedly with AD-related markers. Collectively, our study demonstrated that supplementation with cross-feeding bifidobacteria and 2’-FL reshaped the gut microbiota, activated retinol metabolic pathways, promoted immune tolerance, and thereby prevented AD. Our findings provide novel insights into the therapeutic potential of combining prebiotics and probiotics to modulate the gut – skin axis and support immune tolerance in early life, offering a promising strategy for infantile AD management and prevention.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/19490976.2025.24741482’-fucosyllactosebifidobacteriaatopic dermatitisretinol metabolismcross-feeding |
| spellingShingle | Ce Qi Zhongxia Li Huayu Tu Fang Sun Wenbo Guo Can Di Ruikun He Xiaolei Ze Lintao Zhang Ruijuan Gao Pengyue Hu Wenjing Yang Kexin Li Jiayi Liu Xiaonan Pan Zilu Jin Jin Sun 2’-FL and cross-feeding bifidobacteria reshaped the gut microbiota of infants with atopic dermatitis ex vivo and prevented dermatitis in mice post-microbiota transplantation through retinol metabolism activation Gut Microbes 2’-fucosyllactose bifidobacteria atopic dermatitis retinol metabolism cross-feeding |
| title | 2’-FL and cross-feeding bifidobacteria reshaped the gut microbiota of infants with atopic dermatitis ex vivo and prevented dermatitis in mice post-microbiota transplantation through retinol metabolism activation |
| title_full | 2’-FL and cross-feeding bifidobacteria reshaped the gut microbiota of infants with atopic dermatitis ex vivo and prevented dermatitis in mice post-microbiota transplantation through retinol metabolism activation |
| title_fullStr | 2’-FL and cross-feeding bifidobacteria reshaped the gut microbiota of infants with atopic dermatitis ex vivo and prevented dermatitis in mice post-microbiota transplantation through retinol metabolism activation |
| title_full_unstemmed | 2’-FL and cross-feeding bifidobacteria reshaped the gut microbiota of infants with atopic dermatitis ex vivo and prevented dermatitis in mice post-microbiota transplantation through retinol metabolism activation |
| title_short | 2’-FL and cross-feeding bifidobacteria reshaped the gut microbiota of infants with atopic dermatitis ex vivo and prevented dermatitis in mice post-microbiota transplantation through retinol metabolism activation |
| title_sort | 2 fl and cross feeding bifidobacteria reshaped the gut microbiota of infants with atopic dermatitis ex vivo and prevented dermatitis in mice post microbiota transplantation through retinol metabolism activation |
| topic | 2’-fucosyllactose bifidobacteria atopic dermatitis retinol metabolism cross-feeding |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/19490976.2025.2474148 |
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