Elucidation of distribution and ecology of bacterial community structure on human scalp hair

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K20573
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0601:Agricultural chemistry and related fields
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Agriculture
• Principal Investigator: Watanabe Kota 東京農業大学, 応用生物科学部, 助教 (70966134)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-08-31 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: ヒト毛髪 / 頭皮 / 細菌叢

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Bacterial community structure on the human skin is specific to each individual and varies among different body sites.Scalp hair, which is connected to the scalp as a part of a skin site, is also composed of a certain number of bacteria with unique bacterial community structures.Moreover, we have previously reported that the bacterial community structure on scalp hair may have been affected by host intrinsic factors, such as gender, as well as by extrinsic factors, such as chemical treatments. However, previous studies used samples of scalp hair shafts from only top region of the scalp, and distribution of the bacterial community structure at each scalp hair sampling site has not yet been clarified. In this study, we investigated differences in bacterial community structure among 5 hair sampling sites. We demonstrated that the distribution of bacterial community structires on scalp hair within individuals was relatively steady, even when the scalp hair sampling site was different.

Free Research Field

応用微生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

人体常在細菌は腸内や口腔内、皮膚を中心に広く解析される一方で、毛髪に付着する細菌叢の解析報告は少なく、その生態については多くが未解明である。本研究にてヒト毛髪に付着する細菌の生態を幅広く調べ、常在性や共生関係があることを明らかにすることは、微生物生態学分野での学術的独自性があると考えられる。また、本研究結果は発端となった法医学分野における犯人の異同識別の改良だけでなく、毛髪付着細菌の生態や毛髪や当人の関連性を明らかにすることで、ヒト毛髪の健康維持や新たな洗髪剤や化粧品開発への応用といった創造性もあると考えられる。