The Microbiome Associated With Buruli Ulcer Lesions Conor Meehan Unit of Mycobacteriology cmeehan@itg.be

What is a microbiome? Microbiome: collection of all micro-organisms in a given environment Metagenomics: the genomic material recovered from a microbiome sample These allow us to investigate microbial communities in a variety of habitats

What is the human microbiome? The collection of microbes which live in or on the human body Generally studied as multiple environments: Skin Vaginal Oral Digestive tract Certain signature of microbial content for each site Skin dominated by Actinobacteria

Mycobacterium ulcerans Causitive agent of Buruli Ulcer (BU) ~ 6000 cases a year Occurs primarily in Africa but also Southeast Asia and Australia M. ulcerans produces a toxin, mycolactone, which damages tissue, creating lesions WARNING: photos!

Is there a specific microbial community within BU lesions?

Dataset Punch biopsy samples from Benin 6 BU samples (5 patients) Derived from a differential diagnosis of skin lesions study 6 BU samples (5 patients) 3 non-BU samples 3 healthy: 1 from study site 2 from human microbiome project (American) Stored in GTC buffer (non-sterile) Control samples taken of buffer and other reagents

Bioinformatics Workflow 7

Within sample diversity Very low diversity in BU lesions 8

Between sample diversity BU samples share similarities 9

Between sample diversity Similar phyla, but not clear cut 10

Increased gram negative, obligate anaerobes Increased relative abundance of gram negative bacteria Increased relative abundance of obligate anaerobic bacteria 11

Conclusions BU microbiome ‘signature’ may be present Perhaps driven by Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Fusobacteria Primarily gram negative obligate anaerobes Small sample size Clinical microbiome studies can be undertaken, with correct controls and processing

Acknowledgements Chloé Van Leuvenhaege Miriam Eddyani Mycobacteriology unit, ITM, Antwerp Koen Vandelannoote Françoise Portaels Bouke C. de Jong Laboratoire de Référence de Mycobactéries, Benin Ghislain Sopoh Dissou Affolabi