The structure of Brazilian Amazonian gut microbiomes in the process of urbanisation

Shifts in subsistence strategy among Native American people of the Amazon may be the cause of typically western diseases previously linked to modifications of gut microbial communities. Here, we used 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing to characterise the gut microbiome of 114 rural individuals, namely Xikrin, Suruí and Tupaiú, and urban individuals from Belém city, in the Brazilian Amazon. Our findings show the degree of potential urbanisation occurring in the gut microbiome of rural Amazonian communities characterised by the gradual loss and substitution of taxa associated with rural lifestyles, such as Treponema. Comparisons to worldwide populations indicated that Native American groups are similar to South American agricultural societies and urban groups are comparable to African urban and semi-urban populations. The transitioning profile observed among traditional populations is concerning in light of increasingly urban lifestyles. Lastly, we propose the term “tropical urban” to classify the microbiome of urban populations living in tropical zones.