Gut microbiota profiles of peninsular Malaysian populations are associated with urbanization and lifestyle

There is increasing evidence of distinct gut microbiome compositions between populations living industrialized and non-industrialized lifestyles worldwide. However, whether populations of Malaysia exhibit variations in their microbiome, and to what extent host lifestyle correlates with these variations, remains unclear. Malaysia's extensive geographical and sociocultural diversity provides a unique opportunity to explore how lifestyle and environmental exposures are associated with the human gut microbiome. Here, we characterized the gut microbiome of three populations in peninsular Malaysia, each representing different lifestyle contexts, and identified host factors associated with microbiome variation. Our findings suggest that lifestyle-related factors are strongly associated with differences in microbial community composition across populations. In particular, urban and rural individuals harbor gut microbiota with distinct community structures. We further identified specific taxa as potential microbial signatures of host lifestyle, with the genera Prevotella and Cryptobacteroides enriched in rural populations, while Phocaeicola, Vescimonas, and Megasphaera were more prevalent among urban individuals. In addition to lifestyle, demographic factors such as age, sex, and BMI were also associated with variation in the gut microbiome. This study highlights the influence of urbanization, lifestyle, and diet on the gut microbiome landscape of Malaysian populations and underscores the importance of considering sociocultural context in future microbiome research.