The Metagenome-Assembled Genome Inventory for Children (MAGIC)

Early-life gut microbiomes are implicated in health and diseases. However, existing databases had excessive adult microbiomes as input that hampers infant gut microbiome profiling. Here, we collected 19,494 early-life (0-7 years) gut metagenomes to generate the Metagenome-Assembled Genome Inventory for Children (MAGIC). MAGIC contains great genomic novelty, as 9.0% (279) of the bacterial species genomes, 78.9% (110,153) of the viral species genomes and 52.7% (5,036,208) of the proteins were not reported previously. This database improves early-life microbiome profiling, especially for samples collected from low-income countries. We found Africans have distinct gut bacteriome and virome profiles from those of other continents. We also identified 54 keystone species, forming guilds that fluctuate in abundance with time. Their abundances are reduced in preterm infants and are implicated in onsets of childhood diseases. In conclusion, the MAGIC database recovers previously uncharted genomic information, and enables accurate and comprehensive virome-inclusive studies of early-life gut microbiomes.