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Characterizing the postmortem human bone microbiome from surface-decomposed remains
Alexandra L Emmons1, Amy Z Mundorff1, Sarah W Keenan2
1Department of Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America.
Plos One
|July 9, 2020
Summary
Microbial communities colonize human bones after death, but their impact on DNA preservation varies. This study identified key microbes and found their abundance doesn't consistently predict human DNA degradation across different bone types.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Science
- Microbiology
- Bioarchaeology
Background:
- Microbial colonization is a key factor in postmortem skeletal degradation.
- The specific microbial communities and their distribution on human bones are not well understood.
- Variations in microbial communities may influence human DNA preservation across different bone elements.
Purpose of the Study:
- Identify microbial types colonizing various human bone and tooth elements.
- Correlate microbial abundance, diversity, and community structure with bone type and human DNA preservation.
- Investigate the role of microbial communities in postmortem skeletal DNA degradation.
Main Methods:
- DNA extraction from 165 bone and tooth samples from three individuals.
- Assessment of bacterial loading and microbial community composition and structure.
- Application of random forest models to predict microbial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) associated with human DNA concentration.
Main Results:
- Dominant bacterial phyla identified include Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Planctomycetes.
- Key eukaryotic phyla found were Ascomycota, Apicomplexa, Annelida, Basidiomycota, and Ciliophora.
- Bacterial loading was not a significant predictor of human DNA concentration in most cases, and microbial community structure showed high inter-individual variability.
Conclusions:
- This study expands knowledge on microbes colonizing the postmortem human skeleton.
- Microbial community composition is complex and varies significantly between individuals and body regions.
- The direct relationship between microbial load and human DNA degradation requires further investigation.
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