Mosquito repellency mediated by skin commensal Bacillus species via volatile metabolite reprogramming
Abstract
Individual variation in human attractiveness to mosquitoes critically influences vector-borne disease transmission, and this phenomenon arises from multiple underlying factors. This study integrated human skin microbiome profiling, non-human primate in situ intervention, and volatilomics to uncover a microbial-mediated mechanism underlying host-specific mosquito repellency. Bacillus species were identified as a microbial signature associated with reduced mosquito attraction in humans. Targeted Intervention of B. licheniformis and B. paralicheniformis on primate skin was sufficient to significantly reduce mosquito attraction, thereby establishing a causal microbial contribution beyond descriptive correlations. Mechanistic analyses revealed that Bacillus enrichment reprogrammed the skin volatilome, specifically increasing the abundance of aromatic and fatty acid-derived effectors, such as p-Cresol and decanoic acid, which are associated with repellency phenotypes. Together, these findings revealed a potential role of skin commensals in shaping mosquito host-seeking behavior, providing a molecular basis for microbiome-informed and bio-inspired strategies for mosquito disease control.
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BibTeX
@article{gu2026mosquito,
title = {{Mosquito repellency mediated by skin commensal Bacillus species via volatile metabolite reprogramming}},
author = {Zhenyu Gu and Heting Gao and Hongxia Guo and Zhihua Fan and Weixian Zhang and Dan Xing and Xinyu Zhou and Haotian Yu and Teng Zhao and Jiahong Wu and Chunxiao Li},
journal = {Nature Communications},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1038/s41467-026-78356-5},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78356-5},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Mosquito repellency mediated by skin commensal Bacillus species via volatile metabolite reprogramming
AU - Zhenyu Gu
AU - Heting Gao
AU - Hongxia Guo
AU - Zhihua Fan
AU - Weixian Zhang
AU - Dan Xing
AU - Xinyu Zhou
AU - Haotian Yu
AU - Teng Zhao
AU - Jiahong Wu
AU - Chunxiao Li
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/19
JO - Nature Communications
DO - 10.1038/s41467-026-78356-5
UR - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78356-5
AB - Individual variation in human attractiveness to mosquitoes critically influences vector-borne disease transmission, and this phenomenon arises from multiple underlying factors. This study integrated human skin microbiome profiling, non-human primate in situ intervention, and volatilomics to uncover a microbial-mediated mechanism underlying host-specific mosquito repellency. Bacillus species were identified as a microbial signature associated with reduced mosquito attraction in humans. Targeted Intervention of B. licheniformis and B. paralicheniformis on primate skin was sufficient to significantly reduce mosquito attraction, thereby establishing a causal microbial contribution beyond descriptive correlations. Mechanistic analyses revealed that Bacillus enrichment reprogrammed the skin volatilome, specifically increasing the abundance of aromatic and fatty acid-derived effectors, such as p-Cresol and decanoic acid, which are associated with repellency phenotypes. Together, these findings revealed a potential role of skin commensals in shaping mosquito host-seeking behavior, providing a molecular basis for microbiome-informed and bio-inspired strategies for mosquito disease control.
SN - 2041-1723
ER -