DETECTION OF CUTANEOUS MICROORGANISMS BY VOLATILE METABOLITE SIGNATURES
2Microbial Metagenomics Core Facility, Dead Sea and Arava Science Center, Ein Gedi
3School of Pharmacy, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem
Introduction: Microbial inhabitants of the human skin have long been appreciated for their role in disease, and more recently for their contributions towards establishing and maintaining health. Hundreds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released from human skin and its cohabiting residential flora. These VOCs are influenced by physiological state of both the host and microbe and provide a window into the interactions between the two. Changes in the resident microbiota have been associated with various disease states, including Atopic Dermatitis and Psoriasis. We hypothesize that cutaneous microorganisms’ VOC profiles are distinct and that they can serve as biomarkers for important processes in health and disease.
Methods: Skin associated bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Propionibacterium acnes, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and Corynebacterium xerosis, as well as the commensal fungi Malassezia globosa and Malassezia furfur were seeded independently in GC/MS vials in a modified fatty acid RPMI 1640 media and standard culture media, sealed and cultured for 48 hours. Samples were injected into an Agilent 7890B/7200 GC/QTOF System, using solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) technology. Acquired data was identified by comparison to the National Institute of Standards and Technology library, FIEHN library and the Cayman Spectral Library, and data was subjected to statistical multivariable analysis using R software.
Results & Conclusions: We identified between 150 and 300 different VOCs in each microbial culture and identified signature profiles and compounds for each microorganism. Samples from each microorganism cluster separately on a principal components analysis. Additionally, the volatile signature is dependent both on nutrient resources and physiological state of the microorganism. The identified compounds may be used as diagnostic markers for the presence or physiological state of specific cutaneous microbial taxa.
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