Table_3_Microbiome Resilience and Health Implications for People in Half-Year Travel.xlsx

Travel entail change in geography and diet, both of which are known as determinant factors in shaping the human gut microbiome. Additionally, altered gut microbiome modulates immunity, bringing about health implications in humans. To explore the effects of the mid-term travel on the gut microbiome, we generated 16S rRNA gene and metagenomic sequencing data from longitudinal samples collected over six months. We monitored dynamic trajectories of the gut microbiome variation of a Chinese volunteer team (VT) in their whole journey to Trinidad and Tobago (TAT). We found gut microbiome resilience that VT’s gut microbial compositions gradually transformed to the local TAT’s enterotypes during their six-month stay in TAT, and then reverted to their original enterotypes after VT’s return to Beijing in one month. Moreover, we identified driven species in this bi-directional plasticity that could play a role in immunity modulation, as exemplified by Bacteroides dorei that attenuated atherosclerotic lesion formation and effectively suppressed proinflammatory immune response. Another driven species P. copri could play a crucial role in rheumatoid arthritis pathogenesis, a chronic autoimmune disease. Carbohydrate-active enzymes are often implicated in immune and host-pathogen interactions, of which glycoside hydrolases were found decreased but glycosyltransferases and carbohydrate esterases increased during the travel; these functions were then restored after VT’ returning to Beijing. Furthermore, we discovered these microbial changes and restoration were mediated by VT people’s dietary changes. These findings indicate that half-year travel leads to change in enterotype and functional patterns, exerting effects on human health. Microbial intervention by dietary guidance in half-year travel would be conducive to immunity modulation for maintaining health.

旅行会带来地理环境与饮食结构的改变，二者均为塑造人类肠道微生物组的关键决定因素。此外，肠道微生物组的改变可调控机体免疫功能，进而对人类健康产生影响。为探究中期旅行对肠道微生物组的影响，本研究收集了为期六个月的纵向样本，并生成了16S核糖体RNA基因（16S rRNA gene）与宏基因组测序（metagenomic sequencing）数据。本研究监测了中国志愿者队列（VT）前往特立尼达和多巴哥（Trinidad and Tobago, TAT）全程的肠道微生物组变异动态轨迹。研究发现肠道微生物组具有弹性：VT成员在特立尼达和多巴哥停留的六个月期间，肠道微生物组成逐渐转变为当地人群的肠型（enterotype），而返回北京后的一个月内又恢复至初始肠型。此外，本研究还鉴定出该双向可塑性过程中的驱动物种，这些物种可参与免疫调控：例如多氏拟杆菌（*Bacteroides dorei*）可减轻动脉粥样硬化斑块形成，并有效抑制促炎性免疫应答；另一驱动物种普通拟杆菌（*Prevotella copri*, P. copri）则可能在类风湿关节炎——一种慢性自身免疫性疾病——的发病机制中发挥关键作用。碳水化合物活性酶（carbohydrate-active enzymes）常与免疫及宿主-病原体相互作用相关：研究发现，旅行期间受试者体内的糖苷水解酶（glycoside hydrolases）丰度降低，而糖基转移酶（glycosyltransferases）与碳水化合物酯酶（carbohydrate esterases）的丰度升高；这些功能特征在VT成员返回北京后均得到恢复。进一步研究表明，上述微生物组的改变与恢复过程均由VT成员的饮食结构变化所介导。本研究结果显示，为期半年的旅行可导致肠型与功能模式发生改变，进而对人类健康产生影响。在半年期旅行中通过饮食指导开展微生物组干预，将有助于调控免疫功能以维持机体健康。