A team of researchers has discovered the unique enzyme responsible for the pungent and characteristic bad odor that emanates from the armpits, and which is called BO (Body Odour).
Researchers at the University of York had previously shown that just a few bacteria in our armpits are the real culprits behind bad armpit odor.
Now the same team has gone a step further to discover a unique “BO enzyme” found only within these bacteria. He is responsible for the characteristic smell that plagues commuters who are more used to washing themselves, forced to suffer the fumes on crowded public transport.
Specialty: bad smell
This new research highlights how certain bacteria developed a specialized enzyme to produce some of the key molecules that we recognize as BO.
The first author of the (serious) research published in Scientific Reports is the doctor Michelle Rudden from the Department of Biology at the University of York. Dr Rudden said: “Decoding the structure of this 'BO enzyme' has allowed us to pinpoint the molecular step within some bacteria that produces odor molecules. This is a key advance in understanding how body odor works and will enable the development of targeted inhibitors that stop BO production at the source without harming the underarm microbiome.”
Punish the guilty, protect the innocent
The armpit is home to a diverse community of bacteria that is part of the skin's natural microbiome. This research highlights Staphylococcus hominis as the prime suspect among the microbes that produce body odor.
The researchers say that this “BO enzyme” was present in S. hominis long before the emergence of Homo sapiens as a species. This suggests that this foul odor existed even before the evolution of modern humans.
In the past it may have played an important role in communication between ancestral primates.
