TY - JOUR
T1 - Evidence that intraspecific trait variation among nasal bacteria shapes the distribution of Staphylococcus aureus
AU - Libberton, Ben
AU - Coates, Rosanna E.
AU - Brockhurst, Michael A.
AU - Horsburgh, Malcolm J.
PY - 2014/9
Y1 - 2014/9
N2 - Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus is a risk factor for infection, yet the bacterial determinants required for carriage are poorly defined. Interactions between S. aureus and other members of the bacterial flora may determine colonization and have been inferred in previous studies by using correlated species distributions. However, traits mediating species interactions are often polymorphic, suggesting that understanding how interactions structure communities requires a trait-based approach. We characterized S. aureus growth inhibition by the culturable bacterial aerobe consortia of 60 nasal microbiomes, and this revealed intraspecific variation in growth inhibition and that inhibitory isolates clustered within communities that were culture negative for S. aureus. Across microbiomes, the cumulative community-level growth inhibition was negatively associated with S. aureus incidence. To fully understand the ecological processes structuring microbiomes, it will be crucial to account for intraspecific variation in the traits that mediate species interactions.
AB - Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus is a risk factor for infection, yet the bacterial determinants required for carriage are poorly defined. Interactions between S. aureus and other members of the bacterial flora may determine colonization and have been inferred in previous studies by using correlated species distributions. However, traits mediating species interactions are often polymorphic, suggesting that understanding how interactions structure communities requires a trait-based approach. We characterized S. aureus growth inhibition by the culturable bacterial aerobe consortia of 60 nasal microbiomes, and this revealed intraspecific variation in growth inhibition and that inhibitory isolates clustered within communities that were culture negative for S. aureus. Across microbiomes, the cumulative community-level growth inhibition was negatively associated with S. aureus incidence. To fully understand the ecological processes structuring microbiomes, it will be crucial to account for intraspecific variation in the traits that mediate species interactions.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84906061871&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1128/IAI.02025-14
DO - 10.1128/IAI.02025-14
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84906061871
SN - 0019-9567
VL - 82
SP - 3811
EP - 3815
JO - Infection and Immunity
JF - Infection and Immunity
IS - 9
ER -