Maternal diet alters offspring early life host-microbiota communication through goblet cells, resulting in long-lasting diseases susceptibility

A crucial early-life developmental phase regulates microbiome settling while establishing critical and long-lasting immune and metabolic processes. During this period, the influence of select components of maternal diet on offspring microbiota and health remains largely unknown. To investigate the potential transgenerational impact of maternal exposure to microbiota-disrupting factors, dams were subjected prior breeding to dietary emulsifiers, known to directly perturb the microbiota. Such maternal exposure induced early-life microbiota alterations in offspring which associated with long-lasting susceptibility to diet-induced obesity and intestinal inflammation. These detrimental effects were entirely prevented by early-life microbiota normalization through cross-fostering procedures. Mechanistically, maternal emulsifier exposure induces strong offsprings impairment in goblet cells-mediated host-microbiota communication which is central in driving the observed long-lasting deleterious effects. To conclude, this study underscores the central role played by maternal intake of microbiota-disrupting agents on the next generations microbiota, with long lasting consequences for intestinal and metabolic health.