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Tipping elements in the human intestinal ecosystem

Author

Listed:
  • Leo Lahti

    (University of Helsinki, PO Box 66
    Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, PO Box 8033)

  • Jarkko Salojärvi

    (University of Helsinki, PO Box 66)

  • Anne Salonen

    (Immunobiology Research Program, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, PO Box 21)

  • Marten Scheffer

    (Aquatic Ecology, Wageningen University, PO Box 47)

  • Willem M. de Vos

    (University of Helsinki, PO Box 66
    Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, PO Box 8033
    Immunobiology Research Program, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, PO Box 21)

Abstract

The microbial communities living in the human intestine can have profound impact on our well-being and health. However, we have limited understanding of the mechanisms that control this complex ecosystem. Here, based on a deep phylogenetic analysis of the intestinal microbiota in a thousand western adults, we identify groups of bacteria that exhibit robust bistable abundance distributions. These bacteria are either abundant or nearly absent in most individuals, and exhibit decreased temporal stability at the intermediate abundance range. The abundances of these bimodally distributed bacteria vary independently, and their abundance distributions are not affected by short-term dietary interventions. However, their contrasting alternative states are associated with host factors such as ageing and overweight. We propose that the bistable groups reflect tipping elements of the intestinal microbiota, whose critical transitions may have profound health implications and diagnostic potential.

Suggested Citation

  • Leo Lahti & Jarkko Salojärvi & Anne Salonen & Marten Scheffer & Willem M. de Vos, 2014. "Tipping elements in the human intestinal ecosystem," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-10, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:5:y:2014:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms5344
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5344
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    Cited by:

    1. Frolov, Nikita S. & Khorev, Vladimir S. & Grubov, Vadim V. & Badarin, Artem A. & Kurkin, Semen A. & Maksimenko, Vladimir A. & Hramov, Alexander E. & Pisarchik, Alexander N., 2022. "Stabilization of an unstable equilibrium of a balance platform due to short-term training," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    2. Julien Tap & Franck Lejzerowicz & Aurélie Cotillard & Matthieu Pichaud & Daniel McDonald & Se Jin Song & Rob Knight & Patrick Veiga & Muriel Derrien, 2023. "Global branches and local states of the human gut microbiome define associations with environmental and intrinsic factors," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.

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