Early-life bacterial exposure affects lung surfactant gene-expression, surfactant function and respiratory rate compared to germ-free mice

Mouse lung tissue transcriptome at postnatal day 10. Samples include 9 germ-free, 9 monocultured Bifidobacterium innoculated, and 9 full caecium microbiota innoculated. Plus 5 adult lung tissue as reference. Pregnant BALB/c germ-free mice were kept in separate germ-free isolators until either (a) no exposure (GF), (b) exposure to either Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. Lactis (BI04) or to (c) full cecum content harvested from female SPF mice (Cecum). Subsequently, perinatally exposed offspring were used for the analyses. Lung tissue transcriptomics analysis was done at postnatal day 10 (PNday10) at first phase of lung alveolar development. RNA were extracted for bulk RNA-sequencing.