Microbial Dysbiosis Enhances Rectal SIV Acquisition in Male Rhesus Macaques

Variations in the composition of the intestinal bacterial microbiomes correlate with acquisition of sexually transmitted pathogens such as HIV. We induced dysbiosis in rhesus macaques (RMs) prior to repeated, lose-dose intra-rectal challenges with SIVmac239X, utilizing the antibiotic vancomycin. Our findings demonstrate that intestinal dysbiosis contributes to alterations to gastrointestinal tract immunity and lentiviral acquisition across the rectal epithelial barrier in a Th22-dependant manner. Contact: Jason Brenchley. This submission was powered by METAGENOTE (https://metagenote.niaid.nih.gov).