Geographic differences in gut microbiota composition impact susceptibility to enteric infection

Area of Science:

• Microbiome research
• Infectious disease modeling
• Human health

Background:

• Human gut microbiome composition varies significantly across global populations.
• Existing health outcome studies often lack diverse geographic cohorts, limiting generalizability.
• Understanding population-specific microbiome impacts on disease susceptibility is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if geographic origin of human gut microbiomes influences susceptibility to enteric infections.
• To determine if observed differences in susceptibility are conserved across different pathogens.
• To explore the potential of microbiome interactions in mitigating infection.

Main Methods:

• Germ-free mice were colonized with human gut microbiome samples from donors across three countries.
• Mice were challenged with Citrobacter rodentium and Listeria monocytogenes.
• Susceptibility was assessed, and cohousing experiments were conducted between mice with distinct microbiome origins.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in susceptibility to Citrobacter rodentium infection were observed based on the geographic origin of the human gut microbiome.
• No similar differences in susceptibility were found for Listeria monocytogenes infection.
• Cohousing mice with the most and least susceptible microbiomes conferred protection against C. rodentium infection.

Conclusions:

• Geographic origin of the gut microbiome plays a role in modulating susceptibility to specific enteric pathogens.
• Microbiome composition influences host response to infection in a pathogen-dependent manner.
• Inter-microbiome interactions, such as those in cohousing, can confer resistance and highlight the need for diverse cohorts in microbiome research.