Fecal microbiota transplants modulate the gut microbiome of a two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus).

The microbes inhabiting an animal's gastrointestinal tracts, collectively known as the gut microbiome, are vital to animal health and wellbeing. For animals experiencing gut distress or infection, modulation of the gut microbiome, for example, via fecal microbiota transplant (FMT), provides a possible disease prevention and treatment method. The beneficial microbes present in the donor's transplanted feces can help combat pathogens, assist in digestion, and rebalance the recipient's microbiota. Investigating the efficacy of FMTs in animal health is a crucial step toward improving management strategies for species under human care. We present a case study of the use of FMTs in a two-toed sloth experiencing abnormally large, clumped, and frequent stools. We used 16 S rRNA amplicon sequencing of fecal samples to (a) compare the microbiomes of the FMT donor, a healthy, cohoused conspecific, and the FMT recipient and (b) assess the influence of multiple rounds of FMTs on the recipient's microbiome and stool consistency and frequency over time. In response to the FMTs, we found that the recipient's microbiome showed trends toward increased diversity, shifted community composition, and altered membership that more resembled the community of the donor. FMT treatment was also associated with marked, yet temporary, alleviation of the recipient's abnormal bowel movements, suggesting a broader impact on gut health. Our results provide valuable preliminary evidence that FMT treatments can augment the recipient's gut microbiome, with potential implications for animal health and management.

Thacher PR ，Kendrick EL ，Maslanka M ，Muletz-Wolz CR ，Bornbusch SL ... -  《-》

Fecal microbiota transplantation alters gut phage communities in a clinical trial for obesity.

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a therapeutic intervention used to treat diseases associated with the gut microbiome. In the human gut microbiome, phages have been implicated in influencing human health, with successful engraftment of donor phages correlated with FMT treatment efficacy. The impact that gastrointestinal phages exert on human health has primarily been connected to their ability to modulate the bacterial communities in the gut. Nonetheless, how FMT affects recipients' phage populations, and in turn, how this influences the gut environment, is not yet fully understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of FMT on the phageome composition of participants within the Gut Bugs Trial (GBT), a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial that investigated the efficacy of FMT in treating obesity and comorbidities in adolescents. Stool samples collected from donors at the time of treatment and recipients at four time points (i.e., baseline and 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 26 weeks post-intervention), underwent shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Phage sequences were identified and characterized in silico to examine evidence of phage engraftment and to assess the extent of FMT-induced alterations in the recipients' phageome composition. Donor phages engrafted stably in recipients following FMT, composing a significant proportion of their phageome for the entire course of the study (33.8 ± 1.2% in females and 33.9 ± 3.7% in males). Phage engraftment varied between donors and donor engraftment efficacy was positively correlated with their phageome alpha diversity. FMT caused a shift in recipients' phageome toward the donors' composition and increased phageome alpha diversity and variability over time. FMT significantly altered recipients' phage and, overall, microbial populations. The increase in microbial diversity and variability is consistent with a shift in microbial population dynamics. This proposes that phages play a critical role in modulating the gut environment and suggests novel approaches to understanding the efficacy of FMT in altering the recipient's microbiome. The Gut Bugs Trial was registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTR N12615001351505). Trial protocol: the trial protocol is available at https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/4/e026174 . Video Abstract.

Zuppi M ，Vatanen T ，Wilson BC ，Golovina E ，Portlock T ，Cutfield WS ，Vickers MH ，O'Sullivan JM ... -  《Microbiome》

Feasibility of fecal microbiota transplantation via oral gavage to safely alter gut microbiome composition in marmosets.

Disruption of microbial communities within human hosts has been associated with infection, obesity, cognitive decline, cancer risk and frailty, suggesting that microbiome-targeted therapies may be an option for improving healthspan and lifespan. The objectives of this study were to determine the feasibility of delivering fecal microbiota transplants (FMTs) to marmosets via oral gavage and to evaluate if alteration of the gut microbiome post-FMT could be achieved. This was a prospective study of marmosets housed at the Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies in San Antonio, Texas. Eligible animals included healthy young adult males (age 2-5 years) with no recent medication use. Stool from two donors was combined and administered in 0.5 ml doses to five young recipients once weekly for 3 weeks. Safety outcomes and alterations in the gut microbiome composition via 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing were compared at baseline and monthly up to 6 months post-FMT. Overall, significant differences in the percent relative abundance was seen in FMT recipients at the phylum and family levels from baseline to 1 month and baseline to 6 months post-FMT. In permutational multivariate analysis of variance analyses, treatment status (donor vs. recipient) (p = .056) and time course (p = .019) predicted β diversity (p = .056). The FMT recipients did not experience any negative health outcomes over the course of the treatment. FMT via oral gavage was safe to administer to young adult marmosets. The marmoset microbiome may be altered by FMT; however, progressive changes in the microbiome are strongly driven by the host and its baseline microbiome composition.

Ross CN ，Reveles KR 《-》

Dynamic Colonization of Microbes and Their Functions after Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Chu ND ，Crothers JW ，Nguyen LTT ，Kearney SM ，Smith MB ，Kassam Z ，Collins C ，Xavier R ，Moses PL ，Alm EJ ... -  《mBio》

Microbiome Responses to Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Cats with Chronic Digestive Issues.

Rojas CA ，Entrolezo Z ，Jarett JK ，Jospin G ，Kingsbury DD ，Martin A ，Eisen JA ，Ganz HH ... -  《Veterinary Sciences》