Multifactors have been reported to affect the gut microbiome, including genotype, age, diet, and nutrition. However, few reports have investigated the relative capacity of different factors to shape the gut microbiome in a single study. Our design used a genetic vitamin A-deficient mouse model, the Rbp4^−/− mouse, feeding with the low vitamin A diets at different ages of initiation (4 or 7 weeks) for 28 days. Fecal samples were collected for bacterial profiling at seven time points after diet controlling. With Rbp4 depletion, Akkermansia decreased and Bacteroides increased, whereas Desulfovibrio, Barnesiella, Clostridium_XlVa, and Lactobacillus fluctuated. The bacterial community swiftly adjusted with the vitamin A-deficient diet administration and gradually changed (e.g., decrease of Barnesiella and increase of Desulfovibrio). Age exerted a relatively weaker but long-last influence. At an earlier age to feed a vitamin A-deficient diet, a higher microbial dysbiosis index will be valued. Of note, the shaping effects of diet and age on the bacterial community varied with the difference of genotype, which might indicate a greater role of genotype than diet and age in shaping the gut microbiome.

据报道，多种因素会影响肠道微生物组，包括基因型、年龄、饮食和营养。然而，很少有报告在一项研究中调查了不同因素在塑造肠道微生物组方面的相对能力。我们的设计使用遗传性维生素 A 缺乏小鼠模型Rbp4 ^-/-小鼠，在不同起始年龄（4 或 7 周）喂食低维生素 A 饮食 28 天。在饮食控制后的七个时间点收集粪便样本进行细菌分析。随着Rbp4的消耗，Akkermansia减少，拟杆菌增加，而Desulfovibrio、Barnesiella、Clostridium_XlVa和乳酸菌波动。细菌群落随着维生素 A 缺乏的饮食管理迅速调整并逐渐发生变化（例如，巴氏杆菌减少和脱硫弧菌增加）。年龄产生的影响相对较弱但持续时间较长。在较早的年龄喂食缺乏维生素 A 的饮食时，较高的微生物生态失调指数将受到重视。值得注意的是，饮食和年龄对细菌群落的塑造作用随基因型的不同而变化，这可能表明基因型在塑造肠道微生物组方面的作用比饮食和年龄更大。