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Gut fungal profiles reveal phylosymbiosis and codiversification across humans and nonhuman primates

Summary

This research reveals that fungi living in primate guts follow evolutionary patterns similar to their hosts, suggesting these fungi are not just temporary visitors from diet but long-term residents. By comparing gut fungal communities across humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, and other primates, scientists found that closely related species harbor similar fungi. Some fungal species even appear to have evolved alongside their primate hosts over millions of years, indicating deep evolutionary partnerships.

Background

Gut fungi (mycobiome) are prevalent yet neglected components of the human microbiome. While eco-evolutionary patterns have been well-studied in gut bacteria, similar investigations in fungi remain limited. This study examines whether gut fungi exhibit patterns consistent with long-term host associations and evolutionary relationships.

Objective

To determine whether gut fungal profiles exhibit phylosymbiosis across primate species, identify human-enriched fungal taxa, and investigate evidence of cophylogeny and cospeciation patterns in hominids.

Results

Significant phylosymbiosis was detected in primate gut mycobiomes with both abundance and presence/absence metrics. Eleven of 45 OTUs demonstrated significant cophylogenetic signals with hominid phylogeny, with five showing temporal concordance between fungal speciation and hominid divergence times. Twelve fungal genera were enriched in humans compared to nonhuman primates, including Saccharomyces and Pichia.

Conclusion

Gut fungi exhibit eco-evolutionary patterns consistent with partner fidelity and long-term host associations, including evidence of cospeciation in hominids. These findings expand understanding of mycobiome assembly beyond bacterial-focused research and suggest fungi play integral roles in primate gut evolution.
  • Published in:PLoS Biology,
  • Study Type:Comparative Analysis,
  • Source: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3003390, PMID: 40982467
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