Mucosal microbial parasites/symbionts in health and disease: an integrative overview

Abstract

Microbial parasites adapted to thrive at mammalian mucosal surfaces have evolved multiple times from phylogenetically distant lineages into various extracellular and intracellular life styles. Their symbiotic relationships can range from commensalism to parasitism and more recently some host–parasites interactions are thought to have evolved into mutualistic associations too. It is increasingly appreciated that this diversity of symbiotic outcomes is the product of a complex network of parasites–microbiota–host interactions. Refinement and broader use of DNA based detection techniques are providing increasing evidence of how common some mucosal microbial parasites are and their host range, with some species being able to swap hosts, including from farm and pet animals to humans. A selection of examples will illustrate the zoonotic potential for a number of microbial parasites and how some species can be either disruptive or beneficial nodes in the complex networks of host–microbe interactions disrupting or maintaining mucosal homoeostasis. It will be argued that mucosal microbial parasitic diversity will represent an important resource to help us dissect through comparative studies the role of host–microbe interactions in both human health and disease.

Shifts in the Fecal Microbial Community of Cystoisospora suis Infected Piglets in Response to Toltrazuril

“…The gut microbiota plays an essential role in the resistance to colonization by enteric pathogens, including parasitic protozoa, in the gut (Kamada et al, 2013;Hirt, 2019). Therefore, disruption in the compositional development of gut microbiota in early life might also alter the pathophysiology of parasitic infection either by promoting infection or by conferring resistance (Partida-Rodríguez et al, 2017;Huang et al, 2018b;Oliveira and Widmer, 2018).…”

The gut virome in inflammatory bowel disease pathogenesis: From metagenomics to novel therapeutic approaches

“…29 Because of their coexistence in the same area, these microorganisms are supposed to actively interplay with each other through defence while competing for nutrients, or with cooperation while growing synergistically. 30 Such a relationship subsidizes gut homeostasis maintenance, performing several roles in health and disease 31,32 that will be discussed in the following sections.…”

The fecal microbiota evolves differently in piglets experimentally infected with Cystoisospora suis that are treated with toltrazuril

“…The gut microbiota has essential role in resistance to colonization by enteric pathogens, including parasitic protozoa, in the gut [37,38]. Therefore, disruption in the compositional development of gut microbiota in early life might also alter the pathophysiology of parasitic infection either by promoting infection or by conferring resistance [39][40][41].…”