Abstract
Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) and cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) are frequently used in establishing animal models for human diseases. To determine the differences in gut microbiota between these species, rectal swabs from 20 rhesus macaques and 21 cynomolgus macaques were collected, and the microbial composition was examined by deep sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. We found that the rectal microbiota of cynomolgus macaques exhibited significantly higher alpha diversity than that of rhesus macaques, although the observed number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) was almost the same. The dominant taxa at both the phylum and genus levels were similar between the two species, although the relative abundances of these dominant taxa were significantly different between them. Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt) showed significant differences in the functional components between the microbiota of the two species, in particular the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) synthesis proteins. The above data indicated significant differences in microbial composition and function between these two closely related macaque species, which should be taken into consideration in the future selection of these animals for disease models.
Highlights
Extensive studies have been conducted on the commensal bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract of mice and humans.The gut microbiota is well established as an integral part of the gut mucosal immune system (Backhed et al, 2005)
Deep sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene in rectal stool samples from rhesus and cynomolgus macaques resulted in 668 486 clean reads for rhesus macaques (33 424 reads per sample), representing 957 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), and 826 833 clean reads for cynomolgus macaques (39 373 reads per sample), representing 1 216 OTUs
Rhesus and cynomolgus macaques are frequently used in studies of human diseases, in particular those associated with abnormality of gut microbiota such as diabetes and AIDS (Bauer et al, 2011; Dillon et al, 2016; Letvin et al, 1985)
Summary
The gut microbiota is well established as an integral part of the gut mucosal immune system (Backhed et al, 2005). Commensal bacteria affect the development and function of the gut mucosal immune system, and that of the systemic immune system (Lathrop et al, 2011; Niess & Adler, 2010). The physiologies of other functional systems, such as the nervous system, endocrine system and cardiovascular system, are under the influence of the commensal microbiota (Rieder et al, 2017; Stilling et al, 2015). Many human diseases are associated with abnormality in gut microbiota or dysbiosis (Manichanh et al, 2006; Tilg & Moschen, 2014). Studies on gut microbiota could shed light on our understanding of human health and disease
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
