Abstract
Microbial communities of human gut directly influence health and bear adaptive potential to different geography environment and lifestyles. However, knowledge about the influences of altitude and geography on the gut microbiota of Tibetans is currently limited. In this study, fecal microbiota from 208 Tibetans across six different locations were analyzed by MiSeq sequencing; these locations included Gannan, Gangcha, Tianzhu, Hongyuan, Lhasa and Nagqu, with altitudes above sea level ranging from 2800 m to 4500 m across the Tibetan plateau. Significant differences were observed in microbial diversity and richness in different locations. At the phylum level, gut populations of Tibetans comprised Bacteroidetes (60.00%), Firmicutes (29.04%), Proteobacteria (5.40%), and Actinobacteria (3.85%) and were marked by a low ratio (0.48) of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes. Analysis based on operational taxonomic unit level revealed that core microbiotas included Prevotella, Faecalibacterium, and Blautia, whereas Prevotella predominated all locations, except Gangcha. Four community state types were detected in all samples, and they mainly belong to Prevotella, Bacteroides, and Ruminococcaceae. Principal component analysis and related correspondence analysis results revealed that bacterial profiles in Tibetan guts varied significantly with increasing altitude, BMI, and age, and facultative anaerobes were rich in Tibetan guts. Gut microbiota may play important roles in regulating high-altitude and geographical adaptations.
Highlights
Microbial communities of human gut directly influence health and bear adaptive potential to different geography environment and lifestyles
Tibetans living at high altitudes (4800 m) showed microflora enriched with butyrate-producing bacteria in response to harsh environments[23]
All 16,509,385 high-quality sequences were clustered into operational taxonomic units (OTUs) at 97% sequence similarity using Quantitative Insights Into Microbial Ecology (QIIME) software
Summary
Microbial communities of human gut directly influence health and bear adaptive potential to different geography environment and lifestyles. Indigenous people of Tibet occupied the harsh place for more than 25,000 years and established a major civilization in the Himalayan and other regions[4,5,6] These Tibetans serve as good examples of successful high-altitude adaptation[3]. Microbiome survey across three countries revealed that people living in Venezuela, Malawi, and the United States of America exhibited different gut bacterial profiles that correlated with geographic origins and age[20]. Lifestyles, farming styles, and frequencies of communication with other places may vary with gut microbiome of Tibetans
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
