Sociability in a non-captive macaque population is associated with beneficial gut bacteria
The relationship between social behaviour and the microbiome is known to be reciprocal. Research in wild animal populations, particularly in primate social groups, has revealed the role that social interactions play in microbial transmission, whilst studies in laboratory animals have demonstrated th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1032495/full |
| _version_ | 1811231074799321088 |
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| author | Katerina V.-A. Johnson Katerina V.-A. Johnson Karli K. Watson Robin I. M. Dunbar Philip W. J. Burnet |
| author_facet | Katerina V.-A. Johnson Katerina V.-A. Johnson Karli K. Watson Robin I. M. Dunbar Philip W. J. Burnet |
| author_sort | Katerina V.-A. Johnson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The relationship between social behaviour and the microbiome is known to be reciprocal. Research in wild animal populations, particularly in primate social groups, has revealed the role that social interactions play in microbial transmission, whilst studies in laboratory animals have demonstrated that the gut microbiome can affect multiple aspects of behaviour, including social behaviour. Here we explore behavioural variation in a non-captive animal population with respect to the abundance of specific bacterial genera. Social behaviour based on grooming interactions is assessed in a population of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), and combined with gut microbiome data. We focus our analyses on microbiome genera previously linked to sociability and autistic behaviours in rodents and humans. We show in this macaque population that some of these genera are also related to an individual’s propensity to engage in social interactions. Interestingly, we find that several of the genera positively related to sociability, such as Faecalibacterium, are well known for their beneficial effects on health and their anti-inflammatory properties. In contrast, the genus Streptococcus, which includes pathogenic species, is more abundant in less sociable macaques. Our results indicate that microorganisms whose abundance varies with individual social behaviour also have functional links to host immune status. Overall, these findings highlight the connections between social behaviour, microbiome composition, and health in an animal population. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T10:40:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-39e2c7c82b87456c93aebfaf81b3bd27 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-302X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T10:40:07Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-39e2c7c82b87456c93aebfaf81b3bd272022-12-22T03:36:38ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2022-11-011310.3389/fmicb.2022.10324951032495Sociability in a non-captive macaque population is associated with beneficial gut bacteriaKaterina V.-A. Johnson0Katerina V.-A. Johnson1Karli K. Watson2Robin I. M. Dunbar3Philip W. J. Burnet4Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United KingdomDepartment of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United KingdomInstitute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United StatesDepartment of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United KingdomDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United KingdomThe relationship between social behaviour and the microbiome is known to be reciprocal. Research in wild animal populations, particularly in primate social groups, has revealed the role that social interactions play in microbial transmission, whilst studies in laboratory animals have demonstrated that the gut microbiome can affect multiple aspects of behaviour, including social behaviour. Here we explore behavioural variation in a non-captive animal population with respect to the abundance of specific bacterial genera. Social behaviour based on grooming interactions is assessed in a population of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), and combined with gut microbiome data. We focus our analyses on microbiome genera previously linked to sociability and autistic behaviours in rodents and humans. We show in this macaque population that some of these genera are also related to an individual’s propensity to engage in social interactions. Interestingly, we find that several of the genera positively related to sociability, such as Faecalibacterium, are well known for their beneficial effects on health and their anti-inflammatory properties. In contrast, the genus Streptococcus, which includes pathogenic species, is more abundant in less sociable macaques. Our results indicate that microorganisms whose abundance varies with individual social behaviour also have functional links to host immune status. Overall, these findings highlight the connections between social behaviour, microbiome composition, and health in an animal population.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1032495/fullgut microbiomemicrobiome–gut–brain axissocial behaviourmacaquesMacaca mulattagrooming |
| spellingShingle | Katerina V.-A. Johnson Katerina V.-A. Johnson Karli K. Watson Robin I. M. Dunbar Philip W. J. Burnet Sociability in a non-captive macaque population is associated with beneficial gut bacteria Frontiers in Microbiology gut microbiome microbiome–gut–brain axis social behaviour macaques Macaca mulatta grooming |
| title | Sociability in a non-captive macaque population is associated with beneficial gut bacteria |
| title_full | Sociability in a non-captive macaque population is associated with beneficial gut bacteria |
| title_fullStr | Sociability in a non-captive macaque population is associated with beneficial gut bacteria |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sociability in a non-captive macaque population is associated with beneficial gut bacteria |
| title_short | Sociability in a non-captive macaque population is associated with beneficial gut bacteria |
| title_sort | sociability in a non captive macaque population is associated with beneficial gut bacteria |
| topic | gut microbiome microbiome–gut–brain axis social behaviour macaques Macaca mulatta grooming |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1032495/full |
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