(Press-News.org) Bacteria are invisible to the naked eye, but they reside on nearly every surface humans encounter—including the skin. Uncovering the role these microorganisms play in human health is a major focus of research in skin microbiology, but little is known about the identity or function of skin bacteria in other mammals.
In a paper published in the open access journal PLOS ONE, researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and colleagues identified a core skin bacterial community that humpback whales share across populations, which could point to a way to assess the overall health of these endangered marine mammals.
"The skin is the interface between the animal and the ocean it lives in," said lead author Amy Apprill, a microbiologist at WHOI. "By studying the bacterial species on the skin of humpbacks, we might be able to learn more about their health and the status of their environment."
Apprill collected 56 skin samples from humpback whales from the North Atlantic, North Pacific and South Pacific oceans with the help of scientists at the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and University of Hawaii at Hilo. The samples were obtained from biopsy collecting darts that bounce off the whales' skin and also from skin that naturally sloughs off when whales breach. Detailed population studies in these areas provided important details about the individuals involved, such as their age class and sex.
The research team sequenced and identified over 500,000 small-subunit ribosomal RNA genes from bacteria obtained from humpback whale skin and also compared the data to bacterial sequences found on the skin of deceased whales and whales with injuries and compromised health, such as those entangled in fishing line.
Analysis of skin samples revealed an abundance of two core groups of bacteria specific to humpbacks—Tenacibaculum and Psychrobacter. The overall composition of the bacteria differed by geographical location and metabolic state, as well as in stressed and deceased individuals. In stressed and deceased whales, researchers found less of the two core bacteria and more potential pathogens present.
"There always seems to be this core group of bacteria that attach to the whale skin," said Tracy Mincer, a microbiologist at WHOI and coauthor of the study. "When that core group starts to shift, such as in the case of individuals with compromised health, we saw other bacteria—potentially harmful bugs such as anaerobes, which are common in human skin diseases —showing up."
Humpback whales are oceanic nomads that travel thousands of miles during their seasonal migration, also coming into contact with numerous bacteria and other microbes along the way.
"As very large animals, they have a huge skin surface with a lot of nutrients for microbes to live on and attach to," Mincer said. "How do they control their skin from looking like a ship hull? How do they stay smooth and shiny?"
Researchers aren't sure yet how the core bacteria are interacting with the whales or each other. "The next step is to figure out what the core bacteria are doing—and if they're doing anything that benefits the whales," Apprill said. "There's a spectrum of things they could be doing, such as keeping the whale clean of fouling organisms or producing antibiotics to fend off potential pathogens."
Figuring out the specific role of the core bacteria will be the next step in this important research that could eventually aid in efforts to monitor population health and conservation status of threatened or endangered marine mammals.
"Large whales are difficult to study in the wild, and assessing their health is both important and challenging," said Jooke Robbins, a coauthor and director of humpback whale research at Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies. "This study provides the first baseline on the 'normal' composition of skin bacteria across ages, sexes, populations and habitats. It is an important step toward a quantitative tool for assessing whale health and, potentially, impacts from human activities."
"This work represents a productive blend of fundamental and applied research," said Michael Moore, director of the WHOI Marine Mammal Center, which funded the work. Researchers from the Marine Biological Laboratory, The Dolphin Institute, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare also contributed to the study.
INFORMATION:
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is a private, non-profit organization on Cape Cod, Mass., dedicated to marine research, engineering, and higher education. Established in 1930 on a recommendation from the National Academy of Sciences, its primary mission is to understand the ocean and its interaction with the Earth as a whole, and to communicate a basic understanding of the ocean's role in the changing global environment. For more information, please visit http://www.whoi.edu.
Scientists identify core skin bacterial community in humpback whales
Results could aid future efforts to monitor health
2014-03-26
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Smartphone app helps support recovery after treatment for alcoholism
2014-03-26
A smartphone application appears to help patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) reduce risky drinking days compared to patients who received usual care after leaving treatment in a residential program.
Alcohol dependence is a lifetime psychiatric diagnosis with relapse rates similar to other chronic illnesses. Continuing care for AUDs has been associated with better outcomes, but patients leaving treatment for AUDs typically are not offered aftercare.
The authors randomized 349 patients with alcohol dependence leaving three residential programs to treatment as ...
Migraine attacks increase following stress 'let-down'
2014-03-26
NEW YORK (March 26, 2014) – Migraine sufferers who experienced reduced stress from one day to the next are at significantly increased risk of migraine onset on the subsequent day, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the Montefiore Headache Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University. Stress has long been believed to be a common headache trigger. In this study, researchers found that relaxation following heightened stress was an even more significant trigger for migraine attacks. Findings may aid in recommending preventive treatments ...
UGA researchers explore function of cancer-causing gene
2014-03-26
Athens, Ga. – Developmental biologists at the University of Georgia are discovering new roles for a specific gene known as Max's Giant Associated protein, or MGA. A little studied protein, MGA appears to control a number of developmental processes, and also may be connected to cancer development.
The researchers detail their findings in a paper published recently in the journal Developmental Cell.
"The same genes that are involved in building a person during embryonic development can mutate and cause cancer later in life," said Scott Dougan the study's principal investigator ...
History is made with first small LVAD implant for young muscular dystrophy patient
2014-03-26
DALLAS – March 26, 2014 – "Today, we're going to make history," said 18-year-old Eric Ramos on the day UT Southwestern Medical Center doctors operated on his ailing heart. Eric, who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, is one of only three patients in the United States with the condition to receive a battery-operated left ventricular assist device (LVAD) to keep his weakening heart pumping blood through his body. He is the first patient in the country to be given a specific, smaller LVAD, which means doctors would not need to manipulate his diaphragm, which could compromise ...
Targeting enforcement where needed most in Africa's heart of biodiversity
2014-03-26
Scientists seeking a more efficient way of protecting the heart of Africa's wildlife—the Greater Virunga Landscape—have developed a method to make the most of limited enforcement resources, according to a new study by the Wildlife Conservation Society, the University of Queensland, Imperial College London, and the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
By channeling data on wildlife sightings and park guard patrolling routes into spatial planning software, conservationists have devised a cost-effective method for maximizing the deterrence effect of patrolling to protect Africa's ...
New Capsicum annuum pepper contains high concentrations of beneficial capsinoids
2014-03-26
ORONO, ME--Researchers have released a new Capsicum annuum pepper germplasm that contains high concentrations of capsinoids. The release was announced in the January 2014 issue of HortScience by researchers Robert L. Jarret from the USDA/Agricultural Research Service in Griffin, Georgia, in collaboration with Jason Bolton and L. Brian Perkins from the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Maine.
According to the report, the germplasm called "509-45-1" is a small-fruited Capsicum annuum L. pepper. Fruit of 509-45-1 contain high concentrations ...
AGU: New study shows major increase in West Antarctic glacial loss
2014-03-26
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Six massive glaciers in West Antarctica are moving faster than they did 40 years ago, causing more ice to discharge into the ocean and global sea level to rise, according to new research.
The amount of ice draining collectively from those half-dozen glaciers increased by 77 percent from 1973 to 2013, scientists report this month in Geophysical Research Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union. Pine Island Glacier, the most active of the studied glaciers, has accelerated by 75 percent in 40 years, according to the paper. Thwaites Glacier, ...
Phloem production in Huanglongbing-affected citrus trees
2014-03-26
LAKE ALFRED, FL--Citrus Huanglongbing (citrus greening disease) is highly destructive and fast-spreading, contributing to a reduction in crop yields in Florida and threatening the future of the citrus industry worldwide. Once infected, trees never fully recover and there currently is no cure, although proper nutrient and water management appear to slow tree decline in some situations.
A bacterium called Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), vectored by the Asian citrus psyllid, is the presumed causal agent of the disease. Citrus trees affected by HLB exhibit a progressive ...
Study identifies key player in motor neuron death in Lou Gehrig's disease
2014-03-26
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is marked by a cascade of cellular and inflammatory events that weakens and kills vital motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. The process is complex, involving cells that ordinarily protect the neurons from harm. Now, a new study by scientists in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital points to a potential culprit in this good-cell-gone-bad scenario, a key step toward the ultimate goal of developing a treatment.
Motor neurons, or nerve cells, in the brain and spinal cord control ...
Repeat sternotomy for aortic valve replacement safe option for octogenarian patients
2014-03-26
Beverly, MA, March 26, 2014 – Surgical aortic valve replacement generally improves patients' symptoms and prolongs survival. However, the perceived risk of surgical aortic valve replacement in patients over 80 may result in surgery being denied or a recommendation for alternative therapy. Investigators at the Mayo Clinic challenge the way these patients have been managed. They report that repeat sternotomy in patients over 80 who have previously had coronary bypass graft surgery can be done with low risk. Their findings are published in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
UMass Amherst Nursing Professor Emerita honored as ‘Living Legend’
New guidelines aim to improve cystic fibrosis screening
Picky eaters by day, buffet by night: Butterfly, moth diets sync to plant aromas
Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Leanne Redman honored with the E. V. McCollum Award from the American Society for Nutrition
CCNY physicists uncover electronic interactions mediated via spin waves
Researchers’ 3D-printing formula may transform future of foam
Nurture more important than nature for robotic hand
Drug-delivering aptamers target leukemia stem cells for one-two knockout punch
New study finds that over 95% of sponsored influencer posts on Twitter were not disclosed
New sea grant report helps great lakes fish farmers navigate aquaculture regulations
Strain “trick” improves perovskite solar cells’ efficiency
How GPS helps older drivers stay on the roads
Estrogen and progesterone stimulate the body to make opioids
Dancing with the cells – how acoustically levitating a diamond led to a breakthrough in biotech automation
Machine learning helps construct an evolutionary timeline of bacteria
Cellular regulator of mRNA vaccine revealed... offering new therapeutic options
Animal behavioral diversity at risk in the face of declining biodiversity
Finding their way: GPS ignites independence in older adult drivers
Antibiotic resistance among key bacterial species plateaus over time
‘Some insects are declining but what’s happening to the other 99%?’
Powerful new software platform could reshape biomedical research by making data analysis more accessible
Revealing capillaries and cells in living organs with ultrasound
American College of Physicians awards $260,000 in grants to address equity challenges in obesity care
Researchers from MARE ULisboa discover that the European catfish, an invasive species in Portugal, has a prolonged breeding season, enhancing its invasive potential
Rakesh K. Jain, PhD, FAACR, honored with the 2025 AACR Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research
Solar cells made of moon dust could power future space exploration
Deporting immigrants may further shrink the health care workforce
Border region emergency medical services in migrant emergency care
Resident physician intentions regarding unionization
Healthy nutrition and physical lifestyle choices lower cancer mortality risk for survivors, new ACS study finds
[Press-News.org] Scientists identify core skin bacterial community in humpback whalesResults could aid future efforts to monitor health