PMA-dependent preterm infant microbiome maturation primes fear behavior in mice

We specifically targeted the earliest colonization period by transfaunating pregnant germ free (GF) mice with preterm infant fecal samples of different postmenstrual age (PMA) and then studied the offspring's adult behavior. To our knowledge the present study is the first to demonstrate that using GF mice as hosts for human preterm microbiome, with early development of microbiota defined by PMA and with bacterial composition mimicking the preterm microbiota development, the microbiome primed the fear retention difference in adult mice.