Shared potential metabolism trends in degraded soils and type 2 diabetes gut microbiomes

Microbiome-mediated impacts of global change on human metabolic health remain understudied. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is shaped by nutrition, host and environmental factors, with rapidly increasing global prevalence. Soil microbiomes shift with ecosystem degradation and may influence human metabolism through altering food quality and gut microbiomes, including metabolite exposures without requiring colonization. Here, we investigated functional overlaps between soil microbiomes across ecosystem degradation gradients (USA, Australia) and gut microbiomes in T2D versus normal health (Sweden, China). We developed a method to translate metagenomic functional pathways to potential metabolism of biochemical compounds. In silico trend analyses revealed consistent shifts relevant to energy harvesting and management. Both T2D gut microbiomes and degraded soil microbiomes exhibited increased potential metabolism for sugars and decreased potential metabolism for lignin and monomethyl branched-chain fatty acids. Our findings suggest ecosystem degradation may contribute to T2D pathogenesis through nutrient-depleted food and/or adverse shaping of gut microbiome functional capacities.