Changes in social environment impact primate gut microbiota composition.

Area of Science:

• Microbiome research
• Primate behavior
• Gut health

Background:

• The gut microbiota (GM) is crucial for health, but factors shaping it are unclear.
• Social environment influences GM, yet causation is hard to establish due to confounding factors like diet.

Purpose of the Study:

• To disentangle the distinct effects of diet and social living conditions on gut microbiota composition.
• To reconcile conflicting findings in human and animal studies regarding sociality and GM.

Main Methods:

• A 15-month longitudinal study of 13 male cynomolgus macaques.
• Manipulated diet (variable to controlled) and housing (single to paired) in a structured sequence.
• Analyzed GM composition changes (alpha and beta diversity) in response to these manipulations.

Main Results:

• Dietary changes significantly altered both alpha and beta diversity of the GM.
• Social living condition changes primarily affected beta diversity, specifically altering Lactobacillaceae and Clostridiaceae abundance.
• Bacteria previously linked to sociality were impacted by diet, not social housing changes.

Conclusions:

• Diet and social living exert distinct influences on gut microbiota composition.
• Findings reconcile prior research and suggest biological mechanisms linking sociality and wellbeing via gut alterations.