Avian Malaria Parasites Modulate Gut Microbiome Assembly in Canaries

Abstract

Rodent and human malaria parasites cause dysbiosis in the host gut microbiome, but whether Plasmodium species affecting birds cause dysbiosis in their hosts is currently unknown. Here we used a model of avian malaria infection to test whether parasite infection modulates the bird microbiome. To this aim, bird fecal microbiomes were characterized at different time points after infection of canaries with the avian malaria parasite Plasmodium homocircumflexum. Avian malaria caused no significant changes in the alpha and beta diversity of the microbiome in infected birds. In contrast, we discovered changes in the composition and abundance of several taxa. Co-occurrence networks were used to characterize the assembly of the microbiome and trajectories of microbiome structural states progression were found to be different between infected and uninfected birds. Prediction of functional profiles in bacterial communities using PICRUSt2 showed infection by P. homocircumflexum to be associated with the presence of specific degradation and biosynthesis metabolic pathways, which were not found in healthy birds. Some of the metabolic pathways with decreased abundance in the infected group had significant increase in the later stage of infection. The results showed that avian malaria parasites affect bacterial community assembly in the host gut microbiome. Microbiome modulation by malaria parasites could have deleterious consequences for the host bird. Knowing the intricacies of bird-malaria-microbiota interactions may prove helpful in determining key microbial players and informing interventions to improve animal health.

Structural differences in the gut microbiome of bats using terrestrial vs. aquatic feeding resources

“…Studies comparing some of the methods (i.e., PICRUSt, PICRUSt2, and Tax4Fun) revealed that no method was superior to another [ 76 ], and PICRUSt2 has been applied on samples from various animals, including arthropods (e.g., Ixodes spp. [ 77 ], nematodes (e.g., Caenorhabditis elegans , [ 78 ]), birds (e.g., Serinus canaria domestica [ 79 ]), and mammals (e.g., humans [ 39 ], goats [ 80 ], and bats [ 21 ], among others. In our study, analysis of the functional prediction for multiple bat species, which are taxonomically different and have distinct feeding strategies, showed that frugivorous bats are very different from insectivorous, carnivores, or blood-feeders.…”

Exploring the Potential of Probiotics in Boosting the Immune System's Response to Reduce the Severity of Malaria

“…Malaria, caused by various strains of malaria parasites such as Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium malariae, and Plasmodium knowlesi, is a major threat to human health worldwide. It is estimated that around 3.3 billion people are at risk of developing this disease [1]. Recent research on the human microbiome has revealed a link between resident microbial communities and the risk of blood parasites, offering potential for microbialbased disease treatments such as probiotics [2].…”

“…The immune response plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of malaria. While chloroquine was once the drug of choice for treating P. falciparum malaria, the emergence of resistance among this species has made it less effective [1]. Probiotics are microorganisms that provide health benefits to consumers.…”

“…They are typically gram-positive bacteria, primarily isolated from gut microflora, and are known to enhance the immune response in the host. Probiotics have strain-specific effectiveness against various pathogens and can modulate intestinal microorganisms, thereby influencing immune cells and Peyer's patches cells [1]. By interacting with these cells, probiotics can stimulate the production of antibodies, such as IgA and IgM, leading to an overall boost in the immune response.…”

Early-life factors shaping the gut microbiota of Common buzzard nestlings

“…This concept considers their interactions over time, as well as the inherent feedback mechanisms between hosts, their microbiome, and the surrounding environment [24]. Disruptions of these early-life microbiome assembly processes can adversely affect the host [55,99] by influencing immune system development [41,54], and diminishing resistance to parasitic infections [7,78]. Understanding the factors influencing avian gut microbial composition in early life is therefore of great importance due to the potential long-term impacts of the gut microbiota on host development and body condition [55,77].…”