Prenatal exposure to trace elements impacts mother-infant gut microbiome, metabolome and resistome during the first year of life

Shimao Xiong, Bing Xie, Naiyi Yin (), Hongmei Zhu, Huimin Gao, Xue Xu, Kang Xiao, Xiaolin Cai, Guoxin Sun, Xiuli Sun (), Yanshan Cui, Tom Wiele and Yongguan Zhu ()
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Shimao Xiong: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Bing Xie: Peking University
Naiyi Yin: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Hongmei Zhu: Peking University
Huimin Gao: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xue Xu: Peking University
Kang Xiao: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xiaolin Cai: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Guoxin Sun: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xiuli Sun: Peking University
Yanshan Cui: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Tom Wiele: Ghent University
Yongguan Zhu: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Abstract Infancy is a critical window for the colonization of gut microbiome. However, xenobiotic impacts on gut microbiome development in early life remain poorly understood. Here, we recruit 146 mother-infant pairs and collect stool samples at 3, 6, and 12 months after delivery for amplicon sequencing (N = 353), metagenomics (N = 65), and metabolomics (N = 198). Trace elements in maternal hair samples (N = 119) affect diversity and composition of the infant gut microbiome. Shannon diversity in 3 month-old infants is correlated positively with selenium and negatively with copper, and relative abundance of Bifidobacterium increases under high exposure to aluminum and manganese. During the first year of life, infants and their paired mothers have distinct microbial diversity and composition, and their bacterial community structures gradually approach. here are 56 differential metabolites between the first and second visit and 515 differential metabolites between the second and third visit. The typical profile of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) significantly differs between infants and their mothers. High levels of copper and arsenic exposure may induce the enrichment of ARGs in the infant gut. Our findings highlight the dynamics of the gut microbiome, metabolites, and ARG profiles of mother-infant pairs after delivery, associated with prenatal exposure to trace elements.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-60508-8

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