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Human gut microbiomes fall into three groups
| Study: | Enterotypes of the human gut microbiome |
| By: | Arumugam M. et al. (4 authors total) |
| In: | Nature |
| Link: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature09944 |
The composition of gut bacteria varies between individuals (see previous news), the aim of this study was to investigate if there were similarities and differences in the composition of gut bacteria between different populations from around the globe.
Metagenomes from faecal samples of 39 individuals from three continents (Europe, Asia and America) were sequenced and analysed. The DNA sequences were compared to reference genomes to classify the types of bacteria and identify bacterial genes and their function. The same analysis was carried out on published data sets from 154 American and 85 Danish individuals to confirm the initial findings.
All the individuals studied could be divided into one of three groups or enterotypes depending on the species of bacteria that occurred in high numbers; furthermore, each of the enterotypes could be linked to different preferences in terms of the nutrients they processed. The segregation of enterotypes was not dependent on factors such as ethnic background, age and gender. However, the analysis seemed to indicate that functional composition of the bacterial genes may correlate with factors such as age and BMI. For example, microbial genes involved in carbohydrate breakdown were more prevalent in older people than younger.
The study has identified three gut microbiome enterotypes that vary in relation to species and functional composition between individuals. Further research is needed to see if more enterotypes exist and if there is a correlation between each of these groups and environmental or genetic factors, in order to understand what leads to these differences. A greater understanding of the correlation between bacterial markers such as genes and individual features (e.g. age, weight) may lead to diagnostic or prognostic tools.
This study improves understanding of the similarities and differences between human gut microbiomes, though further research confirming these enterotypes in much larger population sets will be needed. More knowledge about bacterial markers and their correlation with health and disease could eventually lead to useful medical applications.