2026-06-08 東邦大学
図1．歯石DNAから読み解く、過去の口腔内マイクロバイオーム
新たに解析した歯石試料と先行研究データを用いて、古代および現代の口腔内微生物の構成を比較した図。
＜関連情報＞
- https://www.toho-u.ac.jp/press/2026_index/20260608-1614.html
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-55286-2
日本の歴史的な歯石から読み取れる、口腔内微生物叢に対する人口統計学的および文化的影響に関する知見 Insights into demographic and cultural influences on the oral microbiome from historical Japanese dental calculus
Yuki Kuriyama,Fuzuki Mizuno,Takashi Yamada,Masahiko Kumagai,Masaki Tanaka,Izumi Naka,Kazuaki Hirata,Soichiro Mizushima,Shiori Yonemoto,Kyoko Funahashi,Noriko Seguchi,Kazuhiro Sakaue,Eisaku Kanazawa,Masami Matsushita,Takayuki Matsushita,Aiko Saso,Takashi Nara,Ryohei Sawaura,Chiaki Katagiri,Tomoki Maekawa,Kunihiko Kurosaki,Hisako Saitoh,Shuuji Namiki,Shintaroh Ueda & Jun Ohashi
Scientific Reports Published:08 June 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-55286-2
Abstract
Recent advances in genomic technologies have enabled detailed analyses of ancient microbiomes using dental calculus. While most studies have focused on European and North American populations, ancient Japanese oral microbiomes remain largely unexplored. Here, we analyzed dental calculus primarily from Edo period individuals (17th–19th centuries) to investigate the compositional, functional, and phylogenetic diversity of ancient oral microbiomes. Our results revealed clear differences between ancient and modern Japanese microbiomes, as well as phylogenetic divergence between the Final Jomon (ca. 1000 BCE) and Edo periods. We also identified regional variation in ancient oral microbiomes and clade-level diversity within the periodontitis-associated archaeon Methanobrevibacter oralis. Interestingly, individuals with traces of tooth blackening (ohaguro), a custom practiced by Edo period women, were all assigned to the same clade, suggesting cultural influences on the oral microbiome. These findings highlight the important role of human culture and demography in shaping the evolutionary dynamics of microbiomes.
