Subsistence strategies in traditional societies distinguish gut microbiomes

Authors

• Alexandra J. Obregon-Tito, University of Oklahoma; Universidad Científica del Sur; City of Hope, NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Raul Y. Tito, University of Oklahoma; Universidad Científica del Sur
• Jessica Metcalf, University of Colorado
• Krithivasan Sankaranarayanan, University of Oklahoma
• Jose C. Clemente, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
• Luke K. Ursell, University of Colorado
• Zhenjiang Zech Xu, University of Colorado
• Will Van Treuren, University of Colorado
• Rob Knight, University of California - San Diego
• Patrick M. Gaffney, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
• Paul Spicer, University of Oklahoma
• Paul Lawson, University of Oklahoma
• Luis Marin-Reyes, Instituto Nacional de Salud
• Omar Trujillo-Villarroel, Instituto Nacional de Salud
• Morris Foster, Old Dominion University
• Emilio Guija-Poma, Universidad Científica del Sur
• Luzmila Troncoso-Corzo, Universidad Científica del Sur
• Christina Warinner, University of Oklahoma
• Andrew T. Ozga, University of OklahomaFollow
• Cecil M. Lewis Jr., University of Oklahoma

ORCID

0000-0003-4540-7106

ResearcherID

D-1147-2018

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Nature Communications

ISSN

2041-1723

Publication Date

3-25-2015

Keywords

Biodiversity, Microbiome, Symbiosis, Urban ecology

Abstract

Recent studies suggest that gut microbiomes of urban-industrialized societies are different from those of traditional peoples. Here we examine the relationship between lifeways and gut microbiota through taxonomic and functional potential characterization of faecal samples from hunter-gatherer and traditional agriculturalist communities in Peru and an urban-industrialized community from the US. We find that in addition to taxonomic and metabolic differences between urban and traditional lifestyles, hunter-gatherers form a distinct sub-group among traditional peoples. As observed in previous studies, we find that Treponema are characteristic of traditional gut microbiomes. Moreover, through genome reconstruction (2.2–2.5 MB, coverage depth × 26–513) and functional potential characterization, we discover these Treponema are diverse, fall outside of pathogenic clades and are similar to Treponema succinifaciens, a known carbohydrate metabolizer in swine. Gut Treponema are found in non-human primates and all traditional peoples studied to date, suggesting they are symbionts lost in urban-industrialized societies.

DOI

10.1038/ncomms7505

Volume

6

Issue

6505

First Page

1

Last Page

9

Comments

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NSUWorks Citation

Obregon-Tito, Alexandra J.; Raul Y. Tito; Jessica Metcalf; Krithivasan Sankaranarayanan; Jose C. Clemente; Luke K. Ursell; Zhenjiang Zech Xu; Will Van Treuren; Rob Knight; Patrick M. Gaffney; Paul Spicer; Paul Lawson; Luis Marin-Reyes; Omar Trujillo-Villarroel; Morris Foster; Emilio Guija-Poma; Luzmila Troncoso-Corzo; Christina Warinner; Andrew T. Ozga; and Cecil M. Lewis Jr.. 2015. "Subsistence strategies in traditional societies distinguish gut microbiomes." Nature Communications 6, (6505): 1-9. doi:10.1038/ncomms7505.