The 'Hometown Effect,' Genetics Play Key Roles In Your Gut Microbiome

“The early life environment is very important for the formation of an individual’s microbiome,” said Jian-Hua Mao, a corresponding author from Berkeley Lab. “The first dose of microbes one gets comes from the mom, and that remains a strong influence for a lifetime and even beyond.”

In brief, the team found that:
Both genetics and early environment play a strong role in determining an organism’s microbiome
The genes in mice that were correlated to microbes in the gut are very similar to genes that are involved in many diseases in people

The researchers also found indications that moderate shifts in diet play a role in determining exactly what functions the microbes carry out in the gut.

“Our findings could have some exciting implications for people’s health,” said Jansson. “In the future, perhaps people could have designer diets, optimized according to their genes and their microbiome, to digest foods more effectively or to modulate their susceptibility to disease.”

Other co-lead authors on this paper are Sasha Langley from Berkeley Lab and Young-Mo Kim from PNNL. Thomas Metz at PNNL is also a co-corresponding author. The study also included work by scientists at the University of Washington.

The research was funded primarily by the Office of Naval Research. Additional funding came from Berkeley Lab’s Microbes to Biomes and PNNL’s Microbiomes in Transition initiatives.

The mice were created at the Systems Genetics Core Facility at the University of North Carolina. The team made metabolomic measurements at EMSL, the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a DOE Office of Science User Facility at PNNL.

Tom Rickey, PNNL
Sarah Yang, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory