Analysis of Fecal Microbiome Composition During Development of Chronic Schistosomiasis in Mice

Schistosomiasis is one of the most devastating neglected tropical diseases, infecting an estimated 600 million people worldwide. Infections with parasitic helminths, like Schistosoma mansoni, influence modulation of the immune system of the host by shifting the TH1 and TH2 responses, which are likely coincident with changes in the gut microbiome composition. To gain greater insight into the relationship between parasitic worm infections and their mammalian host gut microbiomes, we monitored the composition of the fecal microbiome of mice experimentally infected with chronic schistosomiasis and compared it to uninfected age-matched mice. To generate operational taxonomic units (OTUs), we analyzed 16s rRNA sequences from fecal samples collected during the establishment of a chronic schistosome infection in mice (10 weeks). Using open-source software (Qiita), we characterized the changes in alpha and beta diversities. We compared gut microbiome compositions between and within groups according to infection status and time. Using bioinformatic analysis, we demonstrate that chronic schistosomiasis in mice is associated with quantitative and qualitative modifications of the fecal microbiomes. These results will allow us to further explore the relationship between schistosomiasis, the gut microbiome, and the host immune response