Effects of Age, Sex, and Social Network on Antibiotic Resistance Genes in the Gut Microbiome of Tibetan Macaques ( <i>Macaca thibetana</i> )

The transmission and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have increasingly drawn global attention. However, our knowledge of the antibiotic resistance gene pool in wild primates' gut microbiomes and its influencing factors remains limited. In this study, we focus on a social group of Tibetan macaques (<i>Macaca thibetana</i>) in Huangshan, utilizing behavioral and metagenomic data to investigate the effects of host sex, age, and social network on the ARG profiles of the gut microbiome. Our results demonstrate a high diversity of ARGs in the gut microbiota of Tibetan macaques, with multidrug, glycopeptide, and peptide resistance genes being the most prevalent. Although host age, sex, and social networks did not significantly affect the overall diversity of ARGs, these factors were significantly correlated with the relative abundance of several highly abundant ARG types, including <i>gryB</i>, <i>rpoB</i>, <i>macB</i>, <i>novA</i>, <i>efrA</i>, <i>patB</i>, <i>Staphylococcus aureus mupA</i> conferring mupirocin resistance, <i>RanA</i>, and <i>cdeA</i>. Further analysis revealed extensive interactions between gut bacteria and ARGs, with age emerging as a potentially key factor in this covariation process. These findings provide new insights into the formation and transmission mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in the gut microbiome of wildlife, particularly in social primates.