title: Diversity in gut bacterial community of school-age children in Asia.
abstract: Asia differs substantially among and within its regions populated by diverse ethnic groups, which maintain their own respective cultures and dietary habits. To address the diversity in their gut microbiota, we characterized the bacterial community in fecal samples obtained from 303 school-age children living in urban or rural regions in five countries spanning temperate and tropical areas of Asia. The microbiota profiled for the 303 subjects were classified into two enterotype-like clusters, each driven by Prevotella (P-type) or Bifidobacterium/Bacteroides (BB-type), respectively. Majority in China, Japan and Taiwan harbored BB-type, whereas those from Indonesia and Khon Kaen in Thailand mainly harbored P-type. The P-type microbiota was characterized by a more conserved bacterial community sharing a greater number of type-specific phylotypes. Predictive metagenomics suggests higher and lower activity of carbohydrate digestion and bile acid biosynthesis, respectively, in P-type subjects, reflecting their high intake of diets rich in resistant starch. Random-forest analysis classified their fecal species community as mirroring location of resident country, suggesting eco-geographical factors shaping gut microbiota. In particular, children living in Japan harbored a less diversified microbiota with high abundance of Bifidobacterium and less number of potentially pathogenic bacteria, which may reflect their living environment and unique diet.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.
authors.forename: Jiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.affiliation: Yakult Central Institute, 5-11 Izumi, Kunitachi, Tokyo 186-8650, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.
authors.forename: Jiahui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: 1] Yakult Central Institute, 5-11 Izumi, Kunitachi, Tokyo 186-8650, Japan [2] Yakult Honsha European Research Center for Microbiology, ESV, Technologiepark 4, 9052 Ghent-Zwijnaarde, Belgium.
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Yang-Ming University, 155, Sec 2, Li Nong Street, Peitou, Taipei 11221, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shiou-Huei
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agricultural Technology and Center for Food &Nutrition Studies, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Bulaksumur, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia.
authors.forename: Pri
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Haryono
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngam Wong Wan Road, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
authors.forename: Orawan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: La-Ongkham
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agricultural Technology and Center for Food &Nutrition Studies, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Bulaksumur, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia.
authors.forename: Martinus-Agus
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sarwoko
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Udayana University, Jalan PB.Sudirman, Denpasar 80230, Bali, Indonesia.
authors.forename: I Nengah
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Sujaya
authors.affiliation: College of Food Science &Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, 17 Qinghua Donglu, Hai Dian District Beijing 100083, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117597, Singapore.
authors.forename: Kang-Ting
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, 50 Lane 155, Sec 3, Keelung Road, Taipei 10673, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yen-Po
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Food Industry Research &Development Institute, PO Box 246, Hsinchu 30062, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsueh-Hui
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hidaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117597, Singapore.
authors.forename: Ning-Xin
authors.initials: NX
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Division of Social Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Maidashi 3-1-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
authors.forename: Chikako
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kiyohara
authors.affiliation: Yakult Central Institute, 5-11 Izumi, Kunitachi, Tokyo 186-8650, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kurakawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoshige
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sonomoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.
authors.forename: Kousuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tashiro
authors.affiliation: Yakult Central Institute, 5-11 Izumi, Kunitachi, Tokyo 186-8650, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsuji
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, 50 Lane 155, Sec 3, Keelung Road, Taipei 10673, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Ju
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Fermentation Research Center for Value Added Agricultural Products, Khon Kaen University, 123 Mitrapap Road, Amphur Muang, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.
authors.forename: Vichai
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Leelavatcharamas
authors.affiliation: Food Industry Research &Development Institute, PO Box 246, Hsinchu 30062, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chii-Cherng
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngam Wong Wan Road, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
authors.forename: Sunee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nitisinprasert
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agricultural Technology and Center for Food &Nutrition Studies, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Bulaksumur, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia.
authors.forename: Endang S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Rahayu
authors.affiliation: College of Food Science &Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, 17 Qinghua Donglu, Hai Dian District Beijing 100083, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Fa-Zheng
authors.initials: FZ
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Yang-Ming University, 155, Sec 2, Li Nong Street, Peitou, Taipei 11221, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ying-Chieh
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117597, Singapore.
authors.forename: Yuan-Kun
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D001208:Asia; D001439:Bacteroides / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000096:biosynthesis; D044822:Biodiversity; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D002648:Child; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D054892:Metagenome; D010802:Phylogeny; D018720:Prevotella / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D004269:DNA, Bacterial