Gut microbiota contributes to high-altitude hypoxia acclimatization of human populations

• Published in: Genome Biology Vol. 25; no. 1; p. 232
• Main Authors: Su, Qian, Zhuang, Dao-Hua, Li, Yu-Chun, Chen, Yu, Wang, Xia-Yan, Ge, Ming-Xia, Xue, Ting-Yue, Zhang, Qi-Yuan, Liu, Xin-Yuan, Yin, Fan-Qian, Han, Yi-Ming, Gao, Zong-Liang, Zhao, Long, Li, Yong-Xuan, Lv, Meng-Jiao, Yang, Li-Qin, Xia, Tian-Rui, Luo, Yong-Jun, Zhang, Zhigang, Kong, Qing-Peng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central 28.08.2024; BMC
• Subjects: acclimation; Acclimatization; Adaptation; Adult; Altitude; Altitude Sickness - genetics; Altitude Sickness - microbiology; Animal research; Animals; Bacteria; Blautia; Blautia A; Body mass index; diet; Digestive system; Female; functional diversity; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Gastrointestinal tract; genetic background; genome; Genomes; genus; Gut microbiota; High-altitude environments; Humans; Hypoxia; Hypoxia - genetics; Hypoxia exposure; Intestinal health; Intestinal microflora; intestinal microorganisms; Intestine; intestines; lifestyle; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Males; Metagenomics; Mice; Microbiota; Middle Aged; nationalities and ethnic groups; phenotype; Phenotype acclimatization; Phenotypes; species; Taxonomy; Time-series; Time-series; Hypoxia exposure; Blautia A; Phenotype acclimatization; Intestinal health
• DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03373-w
• ISSN: 1474-760X; 1474-7596

The relationship between human gut microbiota and high-altitude hypoxia acclimatization remains highly controversial. This stems primarily from uncertainties regarding both the potential temporal changes in the microbiota under such conditions and the existence of any dominant or core bacteria that may assist in host acclimatization. To address these issues, and to control for variables commonly present in previous studies which significantly impact the results obtained, namely genetic background, ethnicity, lifestyle, and diet, we conducted a 108-day longitudinal study on the same cohort comprising 45 healthy Han adults who traveled from lowland Chongqing, 243 masl, to high-altitude plateau Lhasa, Xizang, 3658 masl, and back. Using shotgun metagenomic profiling, we study temporal changes in gut microbiota composition at different timepoints. The results show a significant reduction in the species and functional diversity of the gut microbiota, along with a marked increase in functional redundancy. These changes are primarily driven by the overgrowth of Blautia A, a genus that is also abundant in six independent Han cohorts with long-term duration in lower hypoxia environment in Shigatse, Xizang, at 4700 masl. Further animal experiments indicate that Blautia A-fed mice exhibit enhanced intestinal health and a better acclimatization phenotype to sustained hypoxic stress. Our study underscores the importance of Blautia A species in the gut microbiota's rapid response to high-altitude hypoxia and its potential role in maintaining intestinal health and aiding host adaptation to extreme environments, likely via anti-inflammation and intestinal barrier protection.