# Metagenomic Analyses Reveal Gut Microbial Profiles of Cnaphalocrocis medinalis Driven by the Infection of Baculovirus CnmeGV

## TL;DR

This study explores how a baculovirus infection affects the gut microbiota of a specific insect, revealing changes in microbial profiles and potential biomarkers.

## Contribution

The study identifies specific microbial biomarkers and functional gene alterations linked to baculovirus infection in Cnaphalocrocis medinalis.

## Key findings

- CnmeGV infection significantly alters gut microbial diversity and abundance in Cnaphalocrocis medinalis.
- Fifteen microbial species were identified as potential biomarkers of CnmeGV infection.
- Functional gene changes related to metabolism and immunity were observed following infection.

## Abstract

The composition of microbiota in the digestive tract gut is essential for insect physiology, homeostasis, and pathogen infection. Little is known about the interactions between microbiota load and oral infection with baculoviruses. CnmeGV is an obligative baculovirus to Cnaphalocrocis medinalis. We investigated the impact of CnmeGV infection on the structure of intestinal microbes of C. medinalis during the initial infection stage. The results revealed that the gut microbiota profiles were dynamically driven by pathogen infection of CnmeGV. The numbers of all the OTU counts were relatively higher at the early and later stages, while the microbial diversity significantly increased early but dropped sharply following the infection. The compositional abundance of domain bacteria Firmicutes developed substantially higher. The significantly enriched and depleted species can be divided into four groups at the species level. Fifteen of these species were ultimately predicted as the biomarkers of CnmeGV infection. CnmeGV infection induces significant enrichment of alterations in functional genes related to metabolism and the immune system, encompassing processes such as carbohydrate, amino acid, cofactor, and vitamin metabolism. Finally, the study may provide an in-depth analysis of the relationship between host microbiota, baculovirus infection, and pest control of C. medinalis.