Cohabiting family members share microbiota with one another and with their dogs
Se Jin Song,
Christian Lauber,
Elizabeth K Costello,
Catherine A Lozupone,
Gregory Humphrey,
Donna Berg-Lyons,
J Gregory Caporaso,
Dan Knights,
Jose C Clemente,
Sara Nakielny,
Jeffrey I Gordon,
Noah Fierer,
Rob Knight
Affiliations
Se Jin Song
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, United States
Christian Lauber
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, United States
Elizabeth K Costello
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
Catherine A Lozupone
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, United States
Gregory Humphrey
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, United States
Donna Berg-Lyons
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, United States
J Gregory Caporaso
Department of Computer Science, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, United States; Argonne National Laboratory, Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology, Argonne, United States
Dan Knights
Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States; BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, United States
Jose C Clemente
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, United States
Sara Nakielny
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
Jeffrey I Gordon
Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States
Noah Fierer
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, United States; Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, United States
Rob Knight
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, United States; Biofrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, United States
Human-associated microbial communities vary across individuals: possible contributing factors include (genetic) relatedness, diet, and age. However, our surroundings, including individuals with whom we interact, also likely shape our microbial communities. To quantify this microbial exchange, we surveyed fecal, oral, and skin microbiota from 60 families (spousal units with children, dogs, both, or neither). Household members, particularly couples, shared more of their microbiota than individuals from different households, with stronger effects of co-habitation on skin than oral or fecal microbiota. Dog ownership significantly increased the shared skin microbiota in cohabiting adults, and dog-owning adults shared more ‘skin’ microbiota with their own dogs than with other dogs. Although the degree to which these shared microbes have a true niche on the human body, vs transient detection after direct contact, is unknown, these results suggest that direct and frequent contact with our cohabitants may significantly shape the composition of our microbial communities.