Characterizing the postmortem human bone microbiome from surface-decomposed remains.

ABSTRACT: Microbial colonization of bone is an important mechanism of postmortem skeletal degradation. However, the types and distributions of bone and tooth colonizing microbes are not well characterized. It is unknown if microbial communities vary in abundance or composition between bone element types, which could help explain differences in human DNA preservation. The goals of the present study were to (1) identify the types of microbes capable of colonizing different human bone types and (2) relate microbial abundances, diversity, and community composition to bone type and human DNA preservation. DNA extracts from 165 bone and tooth samples from three skeletonized individuals were assessed for bacterial loading and microbial community composition and structure. Random forest models were applied

SUBMITTER: Emmons AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7343130 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature