AUTHOR=Xiao Wanmeng , Ma Zhanshan (Sam) 

TITLE=Inter-Individual Diversity Scaling Analysis of the Human Virome With Classic Diversity-Area Relationship (DAR) Modeling

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Genetics

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genetics/articles/10.3389/fgene.2021.627128

DOI=10.3389/fgene.2021.627128

ISSN=1664-8021

ABSTRACT=<p>The human virome is a critical component of the human microbiome, and it is believed to hold the richest diversity within human microbiomes. Yet, the inter-individual scaling (changes) of the human virome has not been formally investigated to the best of our knowledge. Here we fill the gap by applying diversity-area relationship (DAR) modeling (a recent extension to the classic species-area law in biodiversity and biogeography research) for analyzing four large datasets of the human virome with three DAR profiles: DAR scaling (<italic>z</italic>)—measuring the inter-individual heterogeneity in virome diversity, <italic>MAD</italic> (maximal accrual diversity: <italic>D</italic><sub><italic>max</italic></sub>) and <italic>LGD</italic> ratio (ratio of local diversity to global diversity)—measuring the percentage of individual to population level diversity. Our analyses suggest: (<italic>i</italic>) The diversity scaling parameter (<italic>z</italic>) is rather resilient against the diseases as indicated by the lack of significant differences between the healthy and diseased treatments. (<italic>ii</italic>) The potential maximal accrual diversity (<italic>D</italic><sub><italic>max</italic></sub>) is less resilient and may vary between the healthy and diseased groups or between different body sites. (<italic>iii</italic>) The <italic>LGD</italic> ratio of bacterial communities is much smaller than for viral communities, and relates to the comparatively greater heterogeneity between local vs. global diversity levels found for bacterial-biomes.</p>