Influence of Gender, Age, and Body Mass Index on the Gut Microbiota of Individuals from South China

BackgroundThe symbiotic gut microbiota is pivotal for human health, with its composition linked to various diseases and metabolic disorders. Despite its significance, there remains a gap in systematically evaluating how host phenotypes, such as gender, age, and body mass index (BMI), influence gut microbiota.Methodology/principal findingsWe conducted an analysis of the gut microbiota of 185 Chinese adults based on whole-metagenome shotgun sequencing of fecal samples. Our investigation focused on assessing the effects of gender, age, and BMI on gut microbiota across three levels: diversity, gene/phylogenetic composition, and functional composition. Our findings suggest that these phenotypes have a minor impact on shaping the gut microbiome compared to enterotypes, they do not correlate significantly within- or between-sample diversity. We identified a substantial number of phenotype-associated genes and metagenomic linkage groups (MLGs), indicating variations in gut microflora composition. Specifically, we observed a decline in beneficial Firmicutes microbes, such as Eubacterium, Roseburia, Faecalibacterium and Ruminococcus spp., in both older individuals and those with higher BMI, while potentially harmful microbes like Erysipelotrichaceae, Subdoligranulum and Streptococcus spp. increased with age. Additionally, Blautia and Dorea spp. were found to increase with BMI, aligning with prior research. Surprisingly, individuals who were older or overweight exhibited a lack of Bacteroidetes, a dominant phylum in the human gut microbiota that includes opportunistic pathogens, while certain species of the well-known probiotics Bifidobacterium were enriched in these groups, suggesting a complex interplay of these bacteria warranting further investigation. Regarding gender, several gender-associated MLGs from Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, Clostridium and Akkermansia were enriched in females. Functional analysis revealed a multitude of phenotype-associated KEGG orthologs (KOs).Conclusions/significanceOur study underscores the influence of gender, age, and BMI on gut metagenomes, affecting both phylogenetic and functional composition. However, further investigation is needed to elucidate the precise roles of these bacteria, including both pathogens and probiotics.