Temporary establishment of bacteria from indoor plant leaves and soil on human skin
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Date
2022-12-22
Authors
Mhuireach, Gwynne A.
Fahimipour, Ashkaan K.
Vandegrift, Roo
Muscarella, Mario E.
Hickey, Roxana
Bateman, Ashley C.
Van Den Wymelenberg, Kevin G.
Bohannan, Brendan J. M.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
BMC
Abstract
Background: Plants are found in a large percentage of indoor environments, yet the potential for bacteria associated
with indoor plant leaves and soil to colonize human skin remains unclear. We report results of experiments in a
controlled climate chamber to characterize bacterial communities inhabiting the substrates and leaves of five indoor
plant species, and quantify microbial transfer dynamics and residence times on human skin following simulated touch
contact events. Controlled bacterial propagule transfer events with soil and leaf donors were applied to the arms of
human occupants and repeatedly measured over a 24-h period using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing.
Results: Substrate samples had greater biomass and alpha diversity compared to leaves and baseline skin bacterial
communities, as well as dissimilar taxonomic compositions. Despite these differences in donor community diversity
and biomass, we observed repeatable patterns in the dynamics of transfer events. Recipient human skin bacterial
communities increased in alpha diversity and became more similar to donor communities, an effect which, for soil
contact only, persisted for at least 24 h. Washing with soap and water effectively returned communities to their preperturbed
state, although some abundant soil taxa resisted removal through washing.
Conclusions: This study represents an initial characterization of bacterial relationships between humans and indoor
plants, which represent a potentially valuable element of biodiversity in the built environment. Although environmental
microbiota are unlikely to permanently colonize skin following a single contact event, repeated or continuous
exposures to indoor biodiversity may be increasingly relevant for the functioning and diversity of the human microbiome
as urbanization continues.
Description
13 pages
Keywords
Microbiome, Human skin, 16S, Phyllosphere, Indoor plants, Soil, Potting mix, Microbial transmission
Citation
Mhuireach, G.Á., Fahimipour, A.K., Vandegrift, R. et al. Temporary establishment of bacteria from indoor plant leaves and soil on human skin. Environmental Microbiome 17, 61 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-022-00457-7