Life in the pits: Scientists identify key enzyme behind body odor

Date:
July 27, 2020
Source:
University of York
Summary:
Researchers have discovered a unique ''BO enzyme'' responsible
for armpit odor.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Scientists have discovered a unique enzyme responsible for the pungent characteristic smell we call body odour or BO.


========================================================================== Researchers from the University of York have previously shown that only
a few bacteria in your armpit are the real culprits behind BO. Now the
same team, in collaboration with Unilever scientists, has gone a step
further to discover a unique "BO enzyme" found only within these bacteria
and responsible for the characteristic armpit odour.

This new research highlights how particular bacteria have evolved a
specialised enzyme to produce some of the key molecules we recognise
as BO.

Co-first author Dr Michelle Rudden from the group of Prof. Gavin Thomas
in the University of York's Department of Biology, said: "Solving the
structure of this 'BO enzyme' has allowed us to pinpoint the molecular
step inside certain bacteria that makes the odour molecules. This is a
key advancement in understanding how body odour works, and will enable
the development of targeted inhibitors that stop BO production at source without disrupting the armpit microbiome." Your armpit hosts a diverse community of bacteria that is part of your natural skin microbiome. This research highlights Staphylococcus hominis as one of the main microbes
behind body odour.

Furthermore, the researchers say that this "BO enzyme" was present in S.

hominis long before the emergence of Homo sapiens as a species,
suggesting that body odour existed prior to the evolution of modern
humans, and may have had an important role in societal communication
among ancestral primates.

This research represents an important discovery for Unilever R&D,
made possible by its long-standing academic-industry collaboration with
the University of York. Unilever co-author Dr Gordon James said: "This
research was a real eye- opener. It was fascinating to discover that a
key odour-forming enzyme exists in only a select few armpit bacteria --
and evolved there tens of millions of years ago."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_York. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Michelle Rudden, Reyme Herman, Matthew Rose, Daniel Bawdon, Diana
S. Cox,
Eleanor Dodson, Matthew T. G. Holden, Anthony J. Wilkinson,
A. Gordon James, Gavin H. Thomas. The molecular basis of thioalcohol
production in human body odour. Scientific Reports, 2020; 10 (1)
DOI: 10.1038/s41598- 020-68860-z ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200727114642.htm

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