Adenovirus infection is associated with altered gut microbial communities in a non-human primate

Adenovirus (AdV) infections are one of the main causes of diarrhea in young children. Enteric AdVs probably disrupt gut microbial defences, which can result in diarrhea. To understand the role of the gut microbiomein AdV-induced pathologies, we investigated the gut microbiomeof a naturally AdV-infected non-human primate species, the Malagasy mouse lemur( Microcebus griseorufus), which represents an important model in understanding the evolution of diseases. We observed that AdV infection is associated with disruption of the gut microbial community composition. In AdV+ lemurs, several commensaltaxa essential for a healthy gut microbiomedecreased, whereas genera containing potential pathogens, such as Neisseria, increased in abundance. Microbial co-occurrence networksrevealed a loss of important microbial community interactions in AdV+ lemursand an overrepresentation of Prevotellaceae. The observation of enteric virus-associated loss of commensalbacteria and associated shifts towards pathobionts may represent the missing link for a better understanding of AdV-induced effects in humans, and also for their potential as drivers of co-infections, an area of research that has been largely neglected so far.