ArticleMicrobiome2023
Relative abundance data can misrepresent heritability of the microbiome.
Article in Microbiome, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers.
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Who cites it
31 citing papers in PubMed.
- Genetic dissection of the eggplant rhizosphere microbiome enables microbiome-assisted breeding.Horticulture research · 2026Article
- Oligosaccharides With Defined Glycosidic Bonds Shape Gut Microbial Succession and Metabolism Via Bond-Specific Microbial Responders.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026Article
- The associations of human genetic variations with airway microbiome, environmental exposures, and respiratory health.mSystems · 2026Article
- Provision of porcine milk oligosaccharides to support the weaning transition in nursery pigs fed diets including bovine milk co-products.Journal of animal science · 2026Article
- Sugar ABC transporter repertoires predict ecological dynamics in gut microbiome communities.Research square · 2026Article
- Quantification of the absolute abundance of the jejunal mucosa-associated microbiota of pigs using spike-in control.Microbiome research reports · 2026Article
- The hologenome concept and its implications for animal breeding in the multi-omics Era.Genetics and molecular biology · 2026Article
- Root-associated bacterial community dynamics and assembly mechanisms in healthy and root rot-infected soybeans.Frontiers in microbiology · 2026Article
- Heritability of theFrontiers in plant science · 2026Article
- Genetic architecture and mechanisms of host-microbiome interactions from a multi-cohort analysis of outbred laboratory rats.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Amoebic Gill Disease (AGD) in Atlantic Salmon Investigated Through a Holo-Omic Lens.Ecology and evolution · 2025Article
- Prioritizing precision: guidelines for the better use of population descriptors in human microbiome research.mSystems · 2025Review
- Novel insights into the genetic architecture and mechanisms of host/microbiome interactions from a multi-cohort analysis of outbred laboratory rats.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- Crop genotype modulates root rot resistance-associated microbial community composition and abundance of key taxa.Environmental microbiome · 2025Article
- Recent advances in therapeutic probiotics: insights from human trials.Clinical microbiology reviews · 2025Review
- Age-Dependent Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis in Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Role of Key Bacterial Ratios.Nutrients · 2025Article
- Gut microbiota, blood metabolites, & pan-cancer: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization & mediation analysis.AMB Express · 2025Article
- Absolute Quantitative Metagenomic Analysis Provides More Accurate Insights for the Anti-Colitis Effect of Berberine via Modulation of Gut Microbiota.Biomolecules · 2025Article
- Absolute abundance unveils Basidiobolus as a cross-domain bridge indirectly bolstering gut microbiome homeostasis.The ISME journal · 2025Article
- Synthetic DNA spike-in standards for cross-domain absolute quantification of microbiomes by rRNA gene amplicon sequencing.ISME communications · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundHost genetics can shape microbiome composition, but to what extent it does, remains unclear. Like any other complex trait, this important question can be addressed by estimating the heritability (h
resultsWe derived an analytical approximation for the heritability that one obtains when using such relative, and not absolute, abundances, based on an underlying quantitative genetic model for absolute abundances. Based on this, we uncovered three problems that can arise when using relative abundances to estimate microbiome heritability: (1) the interdependency between taxa can lead to imprecise heritability estimates. This problem is most apparent for dominant taxa. (2) Large sample size leads to high false discovery rates. With enough statistical power, the result is a strong overestimation of the number of heritable taxa in a community. (3) Microbial co-abundances lead to biased heritability estimates.
conclusionsWe discuss several potential solutions for advancing the field, focusing on technical and statistical developments, and conclude that caution must be taken when interpreting heritability estimates and comparing values across studies. Video Abstract.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.