Virome Diversity Correlates with Intestinal Microbiome Diversity in Adult Monozygotic Twins

• Published in: Cell host & microbe Vol. 25; no. 2; pp. 261 - 272.e5
• Main Authors: Moreno-Gallego, J. Leonardo, Chou, Shao-Pei, Di Rienzi, Sara C., Goodrich, Julia K., Spector, Timothy D., Bell, Jordana T., Youngblut, Nicholas D., Hewson, Ian, Reyes, Alejandro, Ley, Ruth E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 13.02.2019
• Subjects: Adult; Base Sequence; concordant and discordant monozygotic twins; DNA, Bacterial - genetics; DNA, Viral - genetics; Feces - microbiology; Feces - virology; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - genetics; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - physiology; Genetic Variation - genetics; human gut microbiome; human gut virome; Humans; Phylogeny; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; Sequence Alignment; Twins, Monozygotic; human gut virome; concordant and discordant monozygotic twins; human gut microbiome
• ISSN: 1931-3128; 1934-6069; 1934-6069
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2019.01.019

The virome is one of the most variable components of the human gut microbiome. Within twin pairs, viromes have been shown to be similar for infants, but not for adults, indicating that as twins age and their environments and microbiomes diverge, so do their viromes. The degree to which the microbiome drives the vast virome diversity is unclear. Here, we examine the relationship between microbiome and virome diversity in 21 adult monozygotic twin pairs selected for high or low microbiome concordance. Viromes derived from virus-like particles are unique to each individual, are dominated by Caudovirales and Microviridae, and exhibit a small core that includes crAssphage. Microbiome-discordant twins display more dissimilar viromes compared to microbiome-concordant twins, and the richer the microbiomes, the richer the viromes. These patterns are driven by bacteriophages, not eukaryotic viruses. Collectively, these observations support a strong role of the microbiome in patterning for the virome. [Display omitted] •The gut virome is highly unique to each individual and dominated by bacteriophages•Gut microbiome diversity, within and between subjects, is mirrored in their viromes•These patterns of diversity are driven by bacteriophages, not by eukaryotic viruses•Microbiome abundances and diversity are predictive of virome richness and diversity The virome remains a relatively unexplored component of the microbiome. Moreno-Gallego and Chou et al. examined the viromes of monozygotic twins to ask how microbiome diversity relates to virome diversity, without host genetic variables. Twin pairs were sorted by high or low microbiome concordance, which revealed a correlated virome relatedness.