Identification of Antibacterial Components in Human Hair Shafts

Subbaiah, Roopa S.; Kerk, Swat Kim; Lian, Yilong; Lunny, Declan P.; Sze, Siu Kwan; Ng, Kee Woei; Schmidtchen, Artur; Adav, Sunil S.

doi:10.2340/00015555-2952

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Found in the nucleosome, the protein is an integral component in chromatin structure and is linked to DNA synthesis and repair 38 , but also exhibits antimicrobial activity 28 . As histone H3 is localized to the cortex of hair shaft 39 , presence of variant H3.1 in head hair in high abundance is reasonable. Differentiation of hair fibers by body location based upon differential protein expression may be a valuable tool for screening in forensic investigations, but examination for any downstream effects on GVP and SNP identification is critically important for our forensic applications.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Hair Proteome Variation at Different Body Locations on Genetically Variant Peptide Detection for Protein-Based Human Identification

Chu

Mason

Anex

et al. 2019

Sci Rep

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Human hair contains minimal intact nuclear DNA for human identification in forensic and archaeological applications. In contrast, proteins offer a pathway to exploit hair evidence for human identification owing to their persistence, abundance, and derivation from DNA. Individualizing single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are often conserved as single amino acid polymorphisms in genetically variant peptides (GVPs). Detection of GVP markers in the hair proteome via high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry permits inference of SNPs with known statistical probabilities. To adopt this approach for forensic investigations, hair proteomic variation and its effects on GVP identification must first be characterized. This research aimed to assess variation in single-inch head, arm, and pubic hair, and discover body location-invariant GVP markers to distinguish individuals. Comparison of protein profiles revealed greater body location-specific variation in keratin-associated proteins and intracellular proteins, allowing body location differentiation. However, robust GVP markers derive primarily from keratins that do not exhibit body location-specific differential expression, supporting GVP identification independence from hair proteomic variation at the various body locations. Further, pairwise comparisons of GVP profiles with 8 SNPs demonstrated greatest interindividual variation and high intraindividual consistency, enabling similar differentiative potential of individuals using single hairs irrespective of body location origin.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Hair Proteome Variation at Different Body Locations on Genetically Variant Peptide Detection for Protein-Based Human Identification

Chu

Mason

Anex

et al. 2019

Sci Rep

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“…Apart from being a microbial niche for beneficial bacteria, pubic hair might exhibit antimicrobial properties of their own: hair-derived proteins and peptides with antimicrobial activity towards bacteria and fungi have been previously identified in human hair shafts 23 , 24 . It therefore seems plausible that extreme pubic hair removal may negatively affect the urogenital microbiome colonization.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extreme pubic hair removal as a potential risk factor for recurrent urinary tract infections in women

Galbarczyk,

Marcinkowska,

Klimek

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common infections experienced by women. Previously, scalp and facial hair in men have been shown to inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria. Here we hypothesize that having hairy genitalia might protect women from UTI. This study investigated grooming habits and occurrence of UTIs in the past 12 months in 2409 women (aged 18–45). Women who reported removing all their pubic hair at least weekly were defined as extreme groomers (66.8%). We collected additional information on covariates including age, having a first UTI at or before age 15, spermicide use, having a new sex partner, and frequency of sexual intercourse during the past year. Extreme grooming was not associated with the risk of being diagnosed with UTI (OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 0.90–1.52), but was associated with a higher risk of recurrent UTIs, defined as three or more UTIs within 12 months (OR = 3.09, 95% CI = 1.35–7.06), after controlling for age, history of UTIs, and sexual practices. Other studies have found that hygienic purposes are the most common motivations for pubic hair removal. These results suggest that along with their pubes, women may be getting rid of important microbial niche and protection against recurrent UTIs.

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“…Hair-derived antimicrobial proteins or peptides have indeed been identified in hair shafts ( Adav et al, 2018 ; Subbaiah et al, 2018 ). Interestingly, histones, which are well-known antimicrobial agents ( Patat et al, 2004 ), were detected abundantly in the hair shaft proteome ( Adav et al, 2018 ; Subbaiah et al, 2018 ). The fact that the experiments showed no evidence of the release of soluble antimicrobials from the hair shafts in the conditions used, raises the possibility that hair surface itself acts as an antimicrobial scaffold, where non-soluble antimicrobials mediate antibacterial effects.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The fact that the experiments showed no evidence of the release of soluble antimicrobials from the hair shafts in the conditions used, raises the possibility that hair surface itself acts as an antimicrobial scaffold, where non-soluble antimicrobials mediate antibacterial effects. For example, antimicrobial histones ( Subbaiah et al, 2018 ) could alter the cationicity and hydrophobicity of the hair shaft surface. In this context, this would in fact resemble the function of synthetic biomaterials having antimicrobial (non-releasable) coatings or antibacterial surfaces ( Hasan et al, 2013 ; Iolanda et al, 2017 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bacteria Display Differential Growth and Adhesion Characteristics on Human Hair Shafts

et al. 2018

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Apart from the skin surface, hair represents a significant tissue component with a capacity of bacterial interactions. New information can be obtained about hair function through the characterization of bacterial adherence, colonization, and responses to hair shafts per se. In this proof-of-principle study, we examine the growth kinetics of Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli in the presence of human hair shafts. We explore the ability of these bacteria to adhere to and colonize hair shaft surfaces, as well as the resulting impact on the hair’s surface morphology. We show that hair shafts inhibit the growth of Gram-positive S. aureus and S. epidermidis, while the growth kinetics of P. aeruginosa and E. coli remain unaffected. Scanning electron microscope analysis and steeping studies show that P. aeruginosa and E. coli to adhere to and colonize on human hair shafts without significantly affecting the hair shaft’s surface morphology. P. aeruginosa produced a substantial amount of biofilm on the hair shaft surfaces, while E. coli specifically inhabited the edges of the cuticle scales. Taken together, our results demonstrate differences in bacterial responses to human hair shafts, which may provide novel insights into hair and scalp health.

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Identification of Antibacterial Components in Human Hair Shafts

Cited by 7 publications

References 0 publications

Hair Proteome Variation at Different Body Locations on Genetically Variant Peptide Detection for Protein-Based Human Identification

Hair Proteome Variation at Different Body Locations on Genetically Variant Peptide Detection for Protein-Based Human Identification

Extreme pubic hair removal as a potential risk factor for recurrent urinary tract infections in women

Bacteria Display Differential Growth and Adhesion Characteristics on Human Hair Shafts

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