The making of the oral microbiome in Agta hunter-gatherers

Ecological and genetic factors have influenced the composition of the human microbiome during our evolutionary history. We analysed the oral microbiota of the Agta, a hunter-gatherer population where some members have adopted an agricultural diet. We show that age is the strongest factor modulating...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Dobon B, Musciotto F, Mira A, Greenacre M, Schlaepfer R, Aguileta G, Astete LH, Ngales M, Latora V, Battiston F, Vinicius L, Migliano AB, Bertranpetit J
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2023
Country:España
Institution:Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana (FISABIO)
Repository:r-FISABIO. Repositorio Institucional de Producción Científica
OAI Identifier:oai:fisabio.fundanetsuite.com:p15571
Online Access:https://fisabio.portalinvestigacion.com/publicaciones/15571
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:hunter-gatherers
oral microbiome
Neolithic transition
pathogen transmission
Description
Summary:Ecological and genetic factors have influenced the composition of the human microbiome during our evolutionary history. We analysed the oral microbiota of the Agta, a hunter-gatherer population where some members have adopted an agricultural diet. We show that age is the strongest factor modulating the microbiome, probably through immunosenescence since we identified an increase in the number of species classified as pathogens with age. We also characterised biological and cultural processes generating sexual dimorphism in the oral microbiome. A small subset of oral bacteria is influenced by the host genome, linking host collagen genes to bacterial biofilm formation. Our data also suggest that shifting from a fish/meat diet to a rice-rich diet transforms their microbiome, mirroring the Neolithic transition. All of these factors have implications in the epidemiology of oral diseases. Thus, the human oral microbiome is multifactorial and shaped by various ecological and social factors that modify the oral environment.