Study shows strong influence from the external environment on fungal communities within primate gut

Researchers are beginning to understand the role of gut fungi and how different environmental factors can influence these fungal communities. This is crucial for the regulation of immune responses.

In a new study, npj Biofilms, and MicrobiomesResearchers from the University of Minnesota as well as the Czech Academy of Sciences presented a summary of the composition of gut fungal communities and fungal-bacterial interactions among different nonhuman primates (wild and captive) and human populations with diverse food acquisition methods (traditional agriculturalists and hunter-gatherers as well the western human population).

Ashok Kumar Sharma (a computational biologist and a postdoctoral researcher) led the research team. He is now with Cedars-Sinai. The scientists sequenced ITS2 rRNA gene markers in fecal sample from four nonhuman primate sexes and three human groups to profile fungal community composition.

Sharma stated, “Understanding the fungal community’s adaptation and interaction with bacterial communities in response different factors such diet and lifestyle would provide a foundation for exploring their potential roles in human disease and health.”

Similarities between captive apes, and humans living an industrialized lifestyle, suggest that diet and lifestyle factors may have an influence on the composition of gut fungal communities and fungal-bacterial interactions. These observations are further supported by higher similarities in fungal composition between wild apes and humans who eat non-industrialized diets.

Overall, results show that ecological, behavioral, and individual factors all play a role in primate’s gut mycobiome. This refers to the communities of fungi living in primates’ gastrointestinal tract.

Researchers discovered:

• The primate’s gut fungal community composition was strongly influenced by host-ecological factors such as diet and lifestyle. This contrasts with the gut bacteria fraction, which is more affected by host genetics.
• Ecological differences within and between primate populations have an impact on the fungal communities, but also on how bacteria and fungi co-habit the gut.
• Fungal and bacterial taxa may have similar functional potential, which could allow them to interact to perform common metabolic roles such as the degradation of a wide variety of carbohydrates.

These data suggest that the external environment may have a strong influence on the primate gut’s fungi population. It is not known if these fungi are transient (short-lived) or long-term colonizers. But perhaps a more interesting question should focus on whether the lack of fungal diversity in western/industrialized human populations affects health,” said Andres Gomez, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Animal Science.

“The environment plays a greater role than host genetics in shaping mycobiome,” clarified Klara Judita Petrakova, PhD, a researcher from the Institute of Vertebrate Biology of Czech Academy of Sciences.

Future research will focus on measuring the contribution of specific food sources to determine the mechanisms of fungal assembly in gastrointestinal tract.