Healthy human gut phageome

TLDR

Humans require a stable, balanced gut microbiome, which is influenced by bacteriophages that infect bacterial hosts. We posit that the healthy gut phageome plays a critical role in maintaining proper gut microbiome function. Analysis of healthy individuals’ gut bacteriophages revealed a globally distributed healthy gut phageome composed of core and common phages, which is markedly reduced in ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease patients, underscoring its role in maintaining human health.

Abstract

Significance Humans need a stable, balanced gut microbiome (GM) to be healthy. The GM is influenced by bacteriophages that infect bacterial hosts. In this work, bacteriophages associated with the GM of healthy individuals were analyzed, and a healthy gut phageome (HGP) was discovered. The HGP is composed of core and common bacteriophages common to healthy adult individuals and is likely globally distributed. We posit that the HGP plays a critical role in maintaining the proper function of a healthy GM. As expected, we found that the HGP is significantly decreased in individuals with gastrointestinal disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease). Together, these results reveal a large community of human gut bacteriophages that likely contribute to maintaining human health.