Abstract
Amebiasis caused by Entamoeba histolytica parasite is among the worst gut diseases worldwide. The study involved detection of gut mycobiome signature of the infected subjects in a trial to improve ability to diagnose and treat this disease. The results indicated that diversity of samples slightly changed due to infection. Dendrogram indicated that the most common phyla in the human gut are Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and Zygomycota. Species Pichia kudriavzevii, Candida glabrata, Saccharomyces cerevisiae of phylum Ascomycota and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa of phylum Basidiomycota were found highly OTU abundant. Weighted unifrac diversity distances resulted in complete separation of the two groups. Differential abundance analysis indicated that four phyla, six families, nine genera and ten species showed considerable changes in gut mycobiome signatures within and among groups. Unclassified species of genus Malassezia (phylum Basidiomycota) showed high abundance in infected subjects as compared to healthy subjects, while families Saccharomycetaceae and Trichocomaceae, genus Saccharomyces and species S. cerevisiae showed opposite results. Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEFSE) indicated that family Saccharomycetaceae, of which S. cerevisiae is a downstream taxon, can be a negative biomarker for amebiasis. In conclusion, the study provides new insights into possible use of Saccharomyces as a probiotic against amebiasis.