Population-level variation in gut bifidobacterial composition and association with geography, age, ethnicity, and staple food.

ABSTRACT: Bifidobacteria are key gut commensals that confer various health benefits and are commonly used as probiotics. However, little is known about the population-level variation in gut bifidobacterial composition and its affecting factors. Therefore, we analyzed Bifidobacterium species with amplicon sequencing of the groEL gene on fecal samples of 1674 healthy individuals, who belonged to eight ethnic groups and resided in 60 counties/cities of 28 provinces across China. We found that the composition of the bifidobacterial community was associated with geographical factors, demographic characteristics, staple food type, and urbanization. First, geography, which reflects a mixed effect of other variables, explained the largest variation in the bifidobacterial profile. Second, middle adolescence

SUBMITTER: Lu J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10716157 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature