| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3421961 | Trends in Microbiology | 2013 | 8 Pages |
•Characterisation of the axillary microbiota by culture-based studies has led to identification of a variety of characteristic odorous compounds.•Taxonomic composition of the axillary microbiota and intra- and interindividual variation has been found by next generation DNA sequencing.•Metatranscriptomics could identify specific metabolic activities in the axillary microbiota linked to individual differences in body odor.
The microbial community of the human axilla plays a key role in the formation of axillary odor by biotransformation of odorless natural secretions into volatile odorous molecules. Culture-based microbiological and biochemical studies have allowed the characterization of the axillary microbiota, but the advent of next-generation culture-independent DNA sequencing approaches has provided an unprecedented depth of data regarding the taxonomic composition of the axillary microbiota and intra- and interindividual variation. However, the physiological activity of the microbiota of an individual and its variation under different environmental conditions remains largely unknown. Thus, metatranscriptomics represents a promising technique to identify specific metabolic activities in the axillary microbiota linked to individual differences in body odor.
