Biology subjects

Qu, E.

Publications and source records attributed to Qu, E..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

The microbiome of the human facial skin is unique compared to that of other hominids

The human facial skin microbiome is remarkably similar across all people sampled to date, dominated by facultative anaerobe Cutibacterium. The origin of this genus is unknown, with no close relatives currently described from samples of primate skin. This apparent human-specific bacterial taxon could reflect the unique nature of human skin, which is significantly more oily than that of our closest primate relatives. However, previous studies have not sampled the facial skin microbiome of our closest primates. Here, we profiled the skin microbiome of zoo-housed chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), and gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), alongside their human care staff, using both 16S and shotgun sequencing. We showed that facial skin microbiomes differ significantly across host species, with humans having the lowest diversity and most unique community among the three species. We were unable to find a close relative of Cutibacterium on either chimpanzee or gorilla facial skin, consistent with human-specificity. Hominid skin microbiome functional profiles were more functionally similar compared to their taxonomic profiles. However, we still found notable functional differences including lower proportions of fatty acid biosynthesis on humans, consistent with microbes reliance on host-derived lipids. Our study highlights the uniqueness of the human facial skin microbiome and supports a horizontal acquisition of its dominant resident from a yet unknown source. ImportanceUnderstanding how and why human skin bacteria differ from our closest animal relatives provides crucial insights into human evolution and health. While we have known that human facial skin hosts distinct bacteria--particularly Cutibacterium acnes--we did not know if these bacteria and their associated genes were also present on the faces of our closest relatives, chimpanzees and gorillas. Our study shows that human facial skin hosts markedly different bacteria than other primates, with C. acnes being uniquely abundant on human faces. This finding suggests that this key bacterial species may have adapted specifically to human skin, which produces more oils than other primates.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2024

Intraspecies warfare restricts strain coexistence in human skin microbiomes

Determining why only a fraction of encountered or applied strains engraft in a given persons microbiome is crucial for understanding and engineering these communities. Previous work has established that metabolic competition can restrict colonization success in vivo, but the relevance of bacterial warfare in preventing commensal engraftment has been less explored. Here, we demonstrate that intraspecies warfare presents a significant barrier to strain coexistence in the human skin microbiome by profiling 14,884 pairwise interactions between Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates cultured from eighteen people from six families. We find that intraspecies antagonisms are abundant, mechanistically diverse, independent of strain relatedness, and consistent with rapid evolution via horizontal gene transfer. Critically, these antagonisms are significantly depleted among strains residing on the same person relative to random assemblages, indicating a significant in vivo role. Together, our results emphasize that accounting for intraspecies warfare may be essential to the design of long-lasting probiotic therapeutics.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2024

Highly-resolved within-species dynamics in the human facial skin microbiome

Adult human facial skin microbiomes are remarkably similar at the species-level, dominated by Cutibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis, yet each person harbors a unique community of strains. Understanding how person-specific communities assemble is critical for designing microbiome-based therapies. Here, using 4,055 isolate genomes and 360 metagenomes, we reconstruct on-person evolutionary history to reveal on and between-person strain dynamics. We find that multiple cells are typically involved in transmission, indicating ample opportunity for migration. Despite this accessibility, family members share only some of their strains. S. epidermidis communities are dynamic, with each strain persisting for an average of only 2 years. C. acnes strains are more stable and have a higher colonization rate during the transition to an adult facial skin microbiome, suggesting this window could facilitate engraftment of therapeutic strains. These previously undetectable dynamics may influence the design of microbiome therapeutics and motivate the study of their effects on hosts.

microbiology↗