Fig. 3. Fecal microbial abundances and neuromotor impairments after LFPI.

(A) Microbial alpha diversity assessed by the Shannon index of richness and evenness. Mixed effects models were used with neuromotor impairments (moderate [“Mod” on X-axis] vs. severe [“Sev” on X-axis]), timepoint, and neuromotor impairment:timepoint interaction as fixed effects and rat identifier as a random effect. (B) Beta diversity analysis was performed using Bray-Curtis dissimilarity and visualized by principal coordinates analysis (PCoA). Each dot represents individual sample differently colored for moderate and severe impairment. Symbols denote different timepoints. P-values were calculated by repeated measures aware PERMANOVA including impairment, timepoint, and impairment:timepoint interaction. (C, D) Microbes that were differently abundant in moderately and severely impaired LFPI rats. Samples were analyzed together in mixed effects models implemented in MaAsLin2 with LFPI subgroups (moderately and severely impaired), timepoint, and subgroup:timepoint interaction as fixed effects and rat identifier as a random effect. ASVs that were significantly associated with neuromotor impairment (q<0.05) in a timepoint-dependent manner are shown for 1 week (C) and 7 months (D). Effect size is shown as the log2 of the fold change. Dot sizes are proportional to mean ASV abundances and dot colors represent different phyla. No ASVs were significant at q<0.05 at 1 month (not shown).