Staphylococci in high resolution: Capturing diversity within the human nasal microbiota

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Human Microbiome Research
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Staphylococci are common nasal commensals and significant opportunistic pathogens.
• Staphylococcus aureus causes substantial infection-related mortality, particularly in carriers.
• Understanding nasal staphylococcal dynamics is crucial for infection prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the temporal dynamics of staphylococcal populations in the human nasal microbiota.
• To identify distinct staphylococcal community state types (sCSTs) and their stability over time.
• To explore factors influencing Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Staphylococcus-targeted sequencing in two distinct European cohorts (Denmark and Germany).
• Employed quantitative PCR (qPCR) to assess absolute abundance of Staphylococcus aureus.
• Analyzed the co-occurrence patterns of various staphylococcal species, including coagulase-negative staphylococci, Dolosigranulum, and Corynebacterium.

Main Results:

• Identified two major staphylococcal community state types (sCSTs): one dominated by S. aureus and another by S. epidermidis.
• Observed high persistence of S. aureus or S. epidermidis predominance over time.
• Found that co-colonizing staphylococcal species exhibited transient dynamics with varying stability across sCST subgroups.
• S. aureus domination was reduced in the presence of Dolosigranulum and Corynebacterium.

Conclusions:

• Nasal staphylococcal communities are characterized by persistent dominance of either S. aureus or S. epidermidis.
• The stability of nasal staphylococcal communities and the transient nature of co-colonizers provide a framework for understanding colonization.
• Findings suggest potential strategies for reducing S. aureus nasal colonization and subsequent infections by targeting specific co-occurring bacteria.