1. The Microbiome Associated With Buruli Ulcer Lesions
Conor Meehan
Unit of Mycobacteriology

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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!

5. Is there a specific microbial community within BU lesions?

6. 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

7. Bioinformatics Workflow7

8. Within sample diversity
Very low diversity in BU lesions 8

9. Between sample diversity
BU samples share similarities 9

10. Between sample diversity
Similar phyla, but not clear cut 10

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

12. 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

13. 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