Cited by 50Gut microbiota and healthMicrobial Community Ecology and PhysiologyOral microbiology and periodontitis research

The shrinking human gut microbiome

Moeller, Andrew H·2017·Current Opinion in Microbiology

Abstract

Mammals harbor complex assemblages of gut bacteria that are deeply integrated with their hosts' digestive, immune, and neuroendocrine systems. Recent work has revealed that there has been a substantial loss of gut bacterial diversity from humans since the divergence of humans and chimpanzees. This bacterial depauperation began in humanity's ancient evolutionary past and has accelerated in recent years with the advent of modern lifestyles. Today, humans living in industrialized societies harbor the lowest levels of gut bacterial diversity of any primate for which metagenomic data are available, a condition that may increase risk of infections, autoimmune disorders, and metabolic syndrome. Some missing gut bacteria may remain within under-sampled human populations, whereas others may be globally extinct and unrecoverable.

Integrity signals

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.mib.2017.04.002

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  • Rapid and substantial contractions in gut bacterial diversity, a consequence of modern lifestyles, may increase the risk of infections and immune-related diseases.

    “rapid and substantial contractions in diversity, a consequence of modern lifestyles, may increase the risk of infections and immune related diseases (Moeller, 2017).”

    From Viral Infections, the Microbiome, and Probiotics (2021) · cites this paper as Moeller, 2017

  • Divergence from chimpanzees about six million years ago was accompanied by a substantial loss of gut bacterial diversity.

    “Our divergence from chimpanzees some six million years ago has been accompanied by a substantial loss of gut bacterial diversity (Moeller, 2017).”

    From Viral Infections, the Microbiome, and Probiotics (2021) · cites this paper as Moeller, 2017

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Authors
Moeller, A. H.
Affiliations
University of California, Berkeley (US)
Corresponding author
Moeller, Andrew H
Venue
Current Opinion in Microbiology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2017-08
Volume
38
Pages
30-35
ISSN
1369-5274 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2607711721
Cited by
50
References
51
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 2
FWCI
0.56
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Current Opinion in Microbiology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science at the University of California, Berkeley
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
  • Health Sciences › Dentistry › Periodontics › Oral microbiology and periodontitis research
Keywords
gut microbiota, human evolution, chimpanzees, modern human populations, host-microbe interactions, immune system, metabolic syndrome, autoimmune disease, infection risk
MeSH terms
Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Biological Evolution, Humans, Life Style, Microbiota

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