ArticleGenome biology2015
Host genetic variation impacts microbiome composition across human body sites.
Article in Genome biology, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 431 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
431 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Effects of prebiotics and phytochemicals on serum trimethylamine N-oxide reduction and gut microbiota: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of translational medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Geographical separation and ethnic origin influence the human gut microbial composition: a meta-analysis from a Malaysian perspective.Microbial genomics · 2021Pooled it
- Distinct trajectories of urbanization shape the human gut microbiome across South Asia.Gut microbes · 2026Article
- Gut microbiomes of tribal communities in India vary with dairy and grain consumption.Gut microbes · 2026Article
- Vagal sensing of altered gut microbiota links to externalizing behaviors.Gut microbes · 2026Article
- Gut microbiome maturation in early childhood interacts with host genetics to predict type 1 diabetes risk.Nature metabolism · 2026Article
- Five-country analysis of geographic and dietary drivers of gut microbiome composition and genomic variation.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Life stage shifts in salivary microbiota determinants: a cross-sectional study in twins.NPJ biofilms and microbiomes · 2026Article
- Microbiome-pancreatic cancer crosstalk: From tumor biology to therapeutic intervention.iMetaOmics · 2026Review
- Global analysis of infant gut microbiota revealed distinctive maturation dynamics across lifestyles.NPJ biofilms and microbiomes · 2026Article
- Host genetic regulation of rumen 6-hydroxymelatonin reduces methane emissions in dairy cattle.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026Article
- Distinct Clinical Phenotypes in Lactase Nonpersistence: Symptomatic, Asymptomatic, and Gassy-Asymptomatic.The American journal of gastroenterology · 2026Article
- Consistent, Scale-Dependent Differences in the Biogeography of Host-Associated and Free-Living Microbiomes Across Systems.Molecular ecology · 2026Article
- Host genetics shapes the recovery of the gut microbiome after antibiotic treatment: the role of the blood group relatedmSystems · 2026Article
- Integrative host transcriptomic and mucosal microbiome profiling reveals region-specific host-microbiome associations across the human intestine.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Structure and Function of the Dental Plaque Microbiome in Eubiosis: A Systematic Review of Ethnic-Racial Influences.Microorganisms · 2026Review
- Host genetics and diet jointly shape the microbiome of Drosophila melanogaster but do not predict lifespan or age-related traits.Biogerontology · 2026Article
- Society and the Microbiome: A Biopsychosocial Window Into Comprehensive Well-Being: A Review.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Clinical Guidance and Practical Recommendations for Probiotic Use in Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Functional Constipation, andJournal of neurogastroenterology and motility · 2026Review
- Integration of human microbiota (SIHUMIx) and zebrafish models reveals microbiome-mediated host responses to azoxystrobin.Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology · 2026Article
371 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe composition of bacteria in and on the human body varies widely across human individuals, and has been associated with multiple health conditions. While microbial communities are influenced by environmental factors, some degree of genetic influence of the host on the microbiome is also expected. This study is part of an expanding effort to comprehensively profile the interactions between human genetic variation and the composition of this microbial ecosystem on a genome- and microbiome-wide scale.
resultsHere, we jointly analyze the composition of the human microbiome and host genetic variation. By mining the shotgun metagenomic data from the Human Microbiome Project for host DNA reads, we gathered information on host genetic variation for 93 individuals for whom bacterial abundance data are also available. Using this dataset, we identify significant associations between host genetic variation and microbiome composition in 10 of the 15 body sites tested. These associations are driven by host genetic variation in immunity-related pathways, and are especially enriched in host genes that have been previously associated with microbiome-related complex diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease and obesity-related disorders. Lastly, we show that host genomic regions associated with the microbiome have high levels of genetic differentiation among human populations, possibly indicating host genomic adaptation to environment-specific microbiomes.
conclusionsOur results highlight the role of host genetic variation in shaping the composition of the human microbiome, and provide a starting point toward understanding the complex interaction between human genetics and the microbiome in the context of human evolution and disease.
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