High-fat and low-fiber diet elevates the gut resistome: a comparative metagenomic study

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Nutritional Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a critical global health threat.
• The gut microbiome harbors AMR determinants and is influenced by diet.
• The precise impact of dietary patterns on the gut resistome is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of high-fat/low-fiber and high-fiber/low-fat diets on the gut microbiome's resistome.
• To identify key bacterial taxa and mobile genetic elements associated with AMR development under different dietary conditions.
• To compare dietary impacts on AMR in both murine models and human populations.

Main Methods:

• Dietary intervention study in mice with high-fat/low-fiber and high-fiber/low-fat diets.
• Analysis of resistome, virulence genes (VGs), and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) abundance.
• Network analysis to identify bacterial hosts of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and VGs.
• Comparative analysis of dietary patterns and resistome levels in human cohorts.

Main Results:

• High-fat/low-fiber diet significantly increased resistome, VG, and MGE abundance in mice.
• High-fiber/low-fat diet led to significant decreases in resistome, VG, and MGE abundance.
• Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, and Alistipes were identified as key hosts for ARGs and VGs.
• Human data showed a correlation between high-fat diets and higher resistome levels, and high-fiber diets with lower resistome levels.

Conclusions:

• Dietary patterns profoundly influence the gut microbiome's antimicrobial resistance.
• A high-fiber/low-fat diet can mitigate the development of AMR in the gut microbiome.
• Public health recommendations should consider promoting high-fiber diets to combat the AMR burden.