Analysis of Human Gut Microbiome: Taxonomy and Metabolic Functions in Thai Adults

The gut microbiome plays a major role in the maintenance of human health. Characterizing the taxonomy and metabolic functions of the human gut microbiome is necessary for enhancing health. Here, we analyzed the metagenomic sequencing, assembly and construction of a meta-gene catalogue of the human gut microbiome with the overall aim of investigating the taxonomy and metabolic functions of the gut microbiome in Thai adults. As a result, the integrative analysis of 16S rRNA gene and whole metagenome shotgun (WMGS) sequencing data revealed that the dominant gut bacterial families were Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae of the Firmicutes phylum. Consistently, across 3.8 million (M) genes annotated from 163.5 gigabases (Gb) of WMGS sequencing data, a significant number of genes associated with carbohydrate metabolism of the dominant bacterial families were identified. Further identification of bacterial community-wide metabolic functions promisingly highlighted the importance of Roseburia and Faecalibacterium involvement in central carbon metabolism, sugar utilization and metabolism towards butyrate biosynthesis. This work presents an initial study of shotgun metagenomics in a Thai population-based cohort in a developing Southeast Asian country.

Automated summary

The study analyzed the gut microbiome of Thai adults, identifying two dominant bacterial families and a significant number of genes associated with carbohydrate metabolism. The importance of Roseburia and Faecalibacterium in central carbon metabolism and butyrate biosynthesis was highlighted through bacterial community-wide metabolic functions. This initial study of shotgun metagenomics provides valuable insights into the gut microbiome of a Thai population in a developing Southeast Asian country.