Impact of Plasmodium relictum Infection on the Colonization Resistance of Bird Gut Microbiota: A Preliminary Study

0Citations
Citations of this article
8Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

Abstract

Avian malaria infection has been known to affect host microbiota, but the impact of Plasmodium infection on the colonization resistance in bird gut microbiota remains unexplored. This study investigated the dynamics of Plasmodium relictum infection in canaries, aiming to explore the hypothesis that microbiota modulation by P. relictum would reduce colonization resistance. Canaries were infected with P. relictum, while a control group was maintained. The results revealed the presence of P. relictum in the blood of all infected canaries. Analysis of the host microbiota showed no significant differences in alpha diversity metrics between infected and control groups. However, significant differences in beta diversity indicated alterations in the microbial taxa composition of infected birds. Differential abundance analysis identified specific taxa with varying prevalence between infected and control groups at different time points. Network analysis demonstrated a decrease in correlations and revealed that P. relictum infection compromised the bird microbiota’s ability to resist the removal of taxa but did not affect network robustness with the addition of new nodes. These findings suggest that P. relictum infection reduces gut microbiota stability and has an impact on colonization resistance. Understanding these interactions is crucial for developing strategies to enhance colonization resistance and maintain host health in the face of parasitic infections.

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Aželytė, J., Maitre, A., Abuin-Denis, L., Piloto-Sardiñas, E., Wu-Chuang, A., Žiegytė, R., … Palinauskas, V. (2024). Impact of Plasmodium relictum Infection on the Colonization Resistance of Bird Gut Microbiota: A Preliminary Study. Pathogens, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13010091

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free