Lipolytic, proteolytic, and cholesterol-degrading bacteria from the human cerumen.

Cerumen, also known as ear wax, is a yellowish waxy substance secreted from specialized glands in the ear canal of mammals. Human cerumen is rich in protein (mainly keratin), lipids (long-chain fatty acids), alcohols, squalene, and cholesterol. To-date the role of cerumen is not totally clear but it is believed to have antimicrobial properties. Here we describe the isolation of multiple bacterial species from human cerumen (among them many Staphylococcus spp. and, interestingly, multiple Bacillus spp.) showing that many of these bacteria harbor biochemical traits enabling them to utilize different cerumen components for their growth. We also suggest the existence of microbial consortia.