Cited by 23Gut microbiota and healthGenomics and Phylogenetic StudiesAntibiotic Resistance in Bacteria

Pangenomes of human gut microbiota uncover links between genetic diversity and stress response

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Shoer, Saar, Reicher, Lee, Zhao, Chunyu, Pollard, Katherine S., Pilpel, Yitzhak, Segal, Eran·2024·Cell Host & Microbe

Published version of a preprint

Abstract

The genetic diversity of the gut microbiota has a central role in host health. Here, we created pangenomes for 728 human gut prokaryotic species, quadrupling the genes of strain-specific genomes. Each of these species has a core set of a thousand genes, differing even between closely related species, and an accessory set of genes unique to the different strains. Functional analysis shows high strain variability associates with sporulation, whereas low variability is linked with antibiotic resistance. We further map the antibiotic resistome across the human gut population and find 237 cases of extreme resistance even to last-resort antibiotics, with a predominance among Enterobacteriaceae. Lastly, the presence of specific genes in the microbiota relates to host age and sex. Our study underscores the genetic complexity of the human gut microbiota, emphasizing its significant implications for host health. The pangenomes and antibiotic resistance map constitute a valuable resource for further research.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.chom.2024.08.017

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  • Geographical origin is a major driver of intraspecific diversity, shaping host traits from diet to antibiotic exposure.

    “Indeed, geographical origin is a major driver of intraspecific diversity, shaping host traits from diet to antibiotic exposure [94-97] .”

    From Genome-scale insights into the metabolic landscape and evolutionary development of Bifidobacterium bifidum (2026) · cites this paper as [96]

    The Results section reports variation in antibiotic susceptibility across geographical regions for one species, but does not identify geographical origin as a major driver of intraspecific diversity. The passages on strain variability and host characteristics address genes, age, and sex, not diet or geographic origin. Searches for geographic diversity and diet or antibiotic exposure did not establish the attributed claim. (LLM, conf=0.70)

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [39]Hauser, and Alan R (2018). Ovid - Antibiotic Basics for Clinicians: The ABCs of Choosing the Right Antibacterial Agent (Wolters Kluwer). https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/solutions/ovid/antibiotic-basics-for-clinicians-the-abcs-of-choosing-the-right-antibacterial-agent-14550.

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Authors
Shoer, S., Reicher, L., Zhao, C., Pollard, K. S., Pilpel, Y., & Segal, E.
Affiliations
  • Weizmann Institute of Science (IL)
  • Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (IL)
  • Chan Zuckerberg Biohub San Francisco (US)
  • University of California, San Francisco (US)
Corresponding author
Segal, Eran
Venue
Cell Host & Microbe
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2024-10
Volume
32
Issue
10
Pages
1744-1757.e2
ISSN
1931-3128 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4402966402
Cited by
23
References
100
Citations by year
2026: 11 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 1
FWCI
3.13
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cell Host & Microbe (publishedVersion)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Funders
  • Council for Higher Education
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL160862)
  • Division of Chemistry
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Medicine › Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria
Keywords
human gut microbiome, pan-genome, core and accessory genome, sporulation, antibiotic resistance, resistome, last-resort antibiotics, Enterobacteriaceae, stress response, host-microbe interactions
MeSH terms
Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Adult, Anti-Bacterial Agents, Bacteria, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Phylogeny, Stress, Physiological, Genetic Variation, Genome, Bacterial, Drug Resistance, Bacterial

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