fig3

Figure 3. (A) Comparison of microbial cell counts (cells per gram feces) by using flow cytometry, plate count, qPCR, and Spike-in. Statistical significance between methods was analyzed using one-way ANOVA with Welch’s correction, followed by Games–Howell post hoc tests. Significance levels are indicated as *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001; (B) Comparing spike-in quantification and qPCR from total 16s rRNA copy number and the copy number of Bifidobacterium genus; (C) Correlation analysis of spike-in and qPCR methods for measuring total copies and copy number of Bifidobacterium genera in mother and infant samples; (D) Significance analysis of copy number measurements of Bifidobacterium genera using both spike-in and qPCR methods in mother and infant samples; (E) Correlation Analysis between spike-in and total DNA. The correlation analysis of (B), (C), and (E) was performed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient; (F) Significance analysis between mother and infant groups by using total DNA measurements. qPCR: quantitative PCR.