The microbiome of captive hamadryas baboons

Area of Science:

• Primate microbiome research
• Comparative genomics
• Nonhuman primate (NHP) health

Background:

• Hamadryas baboons exhibit complex social structures similar to humans.
• Limited data exists on the host-associated microbiomes of nonhuman primates.
• Understanding baboon microbiomes is crucial for comparative studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the microbial composition across various body sites in hamadryas baboons.
• To compare the baboon microbiome with the human microbiome.
• To investigate microbial sharing and diversity within baboon social groups.

Main Methods:

• 16S rRNA gene sequencing of oral, oropharyngeal, cervical, uterine, vaginal, nasal, and rectal samples from 16 baboons.
• Reanalysis of publicly available human microbiome data for comparison.
• Bioinformatic pipeline for analyzing amplicon sequence variants (ASVs).

Main Results:

• Baboon microbiomes are distinct from human microbiomes.
• Cohabiting baboons share similar microbial profiles in reproductive tract and gut.
• Higher microbial diversity and inter-body site similarity observed in baboons compared to humans.
• Lactobacillus is abundant in baboon gut but not predominant in baboon vagina.

Conclusions:

• This study offers the first comprehensive analysis of baboon microbiota across multiple body sites.
• Baboon microbiomes differ significantly from human microbiomes.
• Findings establish a baseline for future baboon microbiome research and human modeling studies.