Ascaris suum infection was associated with a worm-independent reduction in microbial diversity and altered metabolic potential in the porcine gut microbiomeOriginal paper
Karen Pendergrass is a microbiome researcher specializing in microbiome-targeted interventions (MBTIs). She systematically analyzes scientific literature to identify microbial patterns, develop hypotheses, and validate interventions. As the founder of the Microbiome Signatures Database, she bridges microbiome research with clinical practice. In 2012, based on her own investigative research, she became the first documented case of FMT for Celiac Disease, four years before the first published case study.
Read MoreWhat was studied?
Researchers examined how infection with the roundworm Ascaris suum affects the gut microbiome in pigs. They analyzed proximal colon and fecal samples using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.
How was it studied?
Microbial composition was profiled across infected and uninfected pigs and correlated with worm burden, fecal egg counts, and short-chain fatty acid levels. A microbial co-occurrence network analysis and partial Mantel tests were used to link taxa connectivity to metabolite concentrations.
What did they find?
Infection significantly decreased microbial diversity, including Chao1 richness, independent of worm burden in colon contents. The abundance of 49 genera, including Prevotella and Faecalibacterium, and 179 OTUs changed, alongside shifts in 30 reduced and 28 increased metabolic pathways including carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism. Beta-Proteobacteria connectivity, especially Alcaligenaceae, correlated positively with fecal acetate and propionate, while Porphyromonadaceae connectivity correlated with fecal egg counts.
Why it matters
The findings show that nematode infection reshapes gut microbial community structure and function near the site of larval invasion. This helps explain how gastrointestinal parasites may disrupt host metabolic and microbial homeostasis.