eLife: The gut microbiome is influenced by host genes

A team of researchers from the United Kingdom and Germany studied the microbiota of domestic mice and found that the genetic makeup of mouse hosts has a significant impact on the composition of gut bacteria, and many species can be inherited from one generation

They studied the link between the gut microbiome and genes associated with human diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and found that these genes do cluster in genomic regions

In the United States, the researchers analyzed the abundance of gut bacteria in hybrid mouse strains and observed the relationship between

Researchers at keele University's Faculty of Evolutionary Medicine and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology (MPI-EB) in Pl?n, led by Professor John Baines and Dr Leslie Turner of the University of Bath, studied the hybrid offspring of house mice whose genes were more diverse

Mice are fed the same diet, so similarities or differences in the microbiome may be attributed to genes, not the environment

Dr Leslie Turner, lecturer at the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath, said: "Previous mapping studies of the gut microbiome of mice have been based primarily on laboratory inbreeding strains that have limited genetic diversity and lack some native microbes

"Hybrid mice from the wild, on the other hand, are more genetically diverse and retain similarities

Although genetic mapping of the gut microbiota of mice has previously been studied, this is the first time it has been conducted in

Dr Turner added: "Research lab rats and wild rats are a bit like research dogs rather than wolves

"While some of the genes we previously discovered were highlighted in lab mouse studies as candidate genes for causing intestinal diseases, we also identified a number of new candidate genes

"Next, we want to study these new candidate genes in more detail to find out their exact role in maintaining a relationship with microbes

The paper's lead author, Dr Sauney Dom from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Germany, said: "Our gene map shows that more than 400 gene regions in about 120 different bacterial taxa in the microbiome are associated

Dr Turner said: "Our study establishes for the first time a relationship between

"We hope that a better understanding of the genetic structure of mouse-host-microbial interactions can help us gain new perspectives on gut-related diseases in humans and provide new insights into the treatment and management of these diseases

Article title

Key features of the genetic architecture and evolution of host-microbe interactions revealed by high-resolution genetic mapping of the mucosa-associated gut microbiome in hybrid mice