Decoding the Gut‐Brain Axis: Multi‐Omics Reveals a Causal Chain Linking Human Genome, Gut Microbiota, Blood Metabolites, and Alertness in the Brain

Abstract

ABSTRACT The alerting network modulates internal states to facilitate adaptive responses to external stimuli, typically assessed using the Attention Network Test (ANT). However, the human genomic, gut metagenomic, and blood metabolomic bases of alerting remain poorly characterized in Chinese adults. This study employed a multi‐omics approach—integrating genomic, metagenomic, and metabolomic analyses—to investigate fecal samples, serum, and structural brain MRI data from healthy Chinese adults. We first conducted a genome‐wide association study (GWAS) and identified three suggestive SNP loci, including the OSBPL10 as a candidate gene, along with a gene p..