Malaria disrupts the rhesus macaque gut microbiome

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Immunology
• Parasitology

Background:

• Malaria's impact on gut microbiome composition and function remains poorly understood, particularly regarding temporal dynamics during infection and relapse.
• Previous research suggests links between malaria severity, transmissibility, and gut microbial variations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the temporal dynamics of the gut microbiome in a rhesus macaque model during experimental Plasmodium cynomolgi malaria.
• To analyze changes in bacterial taxa abundance and blood plasma metabolomics during primary and relapsing malaria infections.

Main Methods:

• 16S rRNA gene sequencing of rectal swabs from rhesus macaques over the course of malaria infection.
• Metabolomic analysis of blood plasma at various timepoints.
• Comparison of microbial profiles during acute infection, relapse, and post-treatment.

Main Results:

• Acute Plasmodium cynomolgi infection led to decreased gut microbial diversity and significant shifts in bacterial taxa, with Proteobacteria increasing and Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Spirochaetes decreasing.
• Metabolomic analysis revealed significant alterations in the tryptophan-kynurenine pathway during peak infection.
• Relapsing malaria exhibited minimal disruption to the gut microbiome compared to primary infection, despite parasite presence.

Conclusions:

• Acute malaria infection induces a significant, temporary shift in the gut microbiome and associated metabolic pathways.
• The gut microbiome composition largely recovers post-treatment, suggesting resilience.
• Relapsing malaria presents a different host-pathogen interaction with less impact on the gut microbiome compared to acute infection.