Abstract
The vaginal microbiota of nonhuman primates differs substantially from humans in terms of Lactobacillus abundance, overall taxonomic diversity, and vaginal pH. Given these differences, it remains unclear in what way the nonhuman primate genital microbiota protects against pathogens, in particular sexually transmitted infections. Considering the effect that microbiota variations can have on disease acquisition and outcome, we examined endogenous and exogenous factors that influence the urogenital microbiota of male and female captive rhesus monkeys. The male urethral (n = 37) and vaginal (n = 194) microbiota of 11 breeding groups were examined in a cross-sectional study. During lactation and menstruation, the vaginal microbiota becomes significantly more diverse and more similar to the microbes observed in the male urethra. Group association and cage-mate (sexual partners) relationships were additionally associated with significant differences in the urogenital microbiota. Our results demonstrate that microbiota considerations are necessary in order to make informed selection of nonhuman primates as translational animal models.
Highlights
The vaginal microbiota of nonhuman primates differs substantially from humans in terms of Lactobacillus abundance, overall taxonomic diversity, and vaginal pH
We examined the vaginal microbiota of 194 female rhesus monkeys and the urethral microbiota of 37 male rhesus monkeys housed at the breeding facility of the German Primate Center
Considering the effect that microbiota variation can have on disease acquisition and outcome[1], we examined endogenous and exogenous factors that influence the urogenital microbiota of captive rhesus monkeys
Summary
The vaginal microbiota of nonhuman primates differs substantially from humans in terms of Lactobacillus abundance, overall taxonomic diversity, and vaginal pH Given these differences, it remains unclear in what way the nonhuman primate genital microbiota protects against pathogens, in particular sexually transmitted infections. The vaginal microbiota of NHPs on the other hand has a low abundance of Lactobacillus (
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