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Efficient Nucleic Acid Extraction and 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing for Bacterial Community Characterization
Published on: April 14, 2016
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Hand bacterial communities vary across two different human populations
Denina Hospodsky1, Amy J Pickering2, Timothy R Julian3
1Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
Microbiology (Reading, England)
|May 13, 2014
Summary
Human hand bacterial communities are more similar within countries than between them. Environmental factors significantly shape the skin microbiome, with Tanzanian hands showing more soil-associated bacteria compared to US hands.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Human Microbiome Studies
- Environmental Microbiology
Background:
- The human skin microbiome plays a crucial role in health and is influenced by various factors.
- Previous studies on human skin microbial communities have largely focused on Western populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare bacterial communities on the hands of women in Tanzania with those of women in the US.
- To investigate the influence of environmental factors on the human hand microbiome.
Main Methods:
- Utilized pyrosequencing-based phylogenetic library analysis to assess bacterial communities.
- Employed phylogenetically based ordination analysis to compare microbial assemblages.
Main Results:
- Bacterial communities on hands showed greater similarity within countries (Tanzania and US) than between them.
- US hand microbiomes were dominated by Propionibacteriaceae, Staphylococcaceae, and Streptococceacea, forming a distinct cluster.
- Tanzanian hands exhibited a higher abundance of soil-associated bacteria, including Rhodobacteraceae and Nocardioidaceae.
Conclusions:
- Human hand microbial communities are shaped by geographic location and environmental exposures.
- This study expands the understanding of the human microbiome beyond Western populations.
- Environmental factors, such as soil exposure, play a significant role in determining the composition of the hand microbiome.
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