Interplay between gut microbiota metabolism and inflammation in HIV infection

Abstract

HIV infection causes a disruption of gut-associated lymphoid tissue, driving a shift in the composition of gut microbiota. A deeper understanding of the metabolic changes and how they affect the interplay with the host is needed. Here, we assessed functional modifications of HIV-associated microbiota by combining metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses. The transcriptionally active microbiota was well-adapted to the inflamed environment, overexpressing pathways related to resistance to oxidative stress. Furthermore, gut inflammation was maintained by the Gram-negative nature of the HIV-associated microbiota and underexpression of anti-inflammatory processes, such as short chain fatty acid biosynthesis or indole production. We performed co-occurrence and metabolic network analyses that showed relevance in the microbiota structure of both taxonomic and metabolic HIV-associated biomarkers. The Bayesian network revealed the most determinant pathways for maintaining the structure stability of the bacterial community. In addition, we identified the taxa's contribution to metabolic activities and their interactions with host health.