Research Advance in Skin Microbiome

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Systems Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2021) | Viewed by 33763

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Kanazawa University School of Medicine, Kanazawa, Japan
Interests: skin; pathogenic infection; skin immune disease and pathogenic microorganisms; skin microbiome and skin aging; skin damage; post pressure injury infections

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Microbiomes are formed on human mucous membranes and the skin, and numerous types of constituent bacteria coexist with us. In this century, with the rapid development of next-generation sequence analysis, microbiome research, which was impossible until now, has begun, and its research content is continuing to evolve dramatically.

Various research results have been produced in skin microbiome research. For example, the involvement of Staphylococcus aureus in the aversion of atopic dermatitis and the link between acne and Cutibacterium acnes are well known. On the other hand, it has been found that the composition of the skin microbiome differs greatly from the microbiome in the gut and oral cavity; the composition of the skin microbiome varies greatly depending on each part of the human body, individuals, ethnic groups, living environments, and so on. Furthermore, in the field of cosmetics, the importance of the composition of the skin flora is being discussed. However, there are still many questions related to skin microbiome.

Here, we would like to gather the latest skin microbiome research trends, and we would like to introduce future development directions and new knowledge of skin microbiome research. Therefore, I am looking forward to your new and interesting topics and ideas for skin microbiome research.

Prof. Dr. Shigefumi Okamoto
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • skin microbiome
  • NGS
  • skin infectious diseases
  • dermatologic disorders
  • skin immunology
  • diversity of skin microbiome
  • opportunistic infections in skin
  • aging
  • skin health
  • skin care
  • cosmetics
  • collection methods of skin microbiome

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 2458 KiB  
Article
eDNA-Mediated Cutaneous Protection Against UVB Damage Conferred by Staphylococcal Epidermal Colonization
by Sapir Ron-Doitch, Marina Frušić-Zlotkin, Yoram Soroka, Danielle Duanis-Assaf, Dalit Amar, Ron Kohen and Doron Steinberg
Microorganisms 2021, 9(4), 788; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9040788 - 9 Apr 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1968
Abstract
The human skin is a lush microbial habitat which is occupied by a wide array of microorganisms. Among the most common inhabitants are Staphylococcus spp., namely Staphylococcus epidermidis and, in ≈20% of healthy individuals, Staphylococcus aureus. Both bacteria have been associated with [...] Read more.
The human skin is a lush microbial habitat which is occupied by a wide array of microorganisms. Among the most common inhabitants are Staphylococcus spp., namely Staphylococcus epidermidis and, in ≈20% of healthy individuals, Staphylococcus aureus. Both bacteria have been associated with cutaneous maladies, where they mostly arrange in a biofilm, thus achieving improved surface adhesion and stability. Moreover, our skin is constantly exposed to numerous oxidative environmental stressors, such as UV-irradiation. Thus, skin cells are equipped with an important antioxidant defense mechanism, the Nrf2–Keap1 pathway. In this work, we aimed to explore the morphology of S. aureus and S. epidermidis as they adhered to healthy human skin and characterize their matrix composition. Furthermore, we hypothesized that the localization of both types of bacteria on a healthy skin surface may provide protective effects against oxidative stressors, such as UV-irradiation. Our results indicate for the first time that S. aureus and S. epidermidis assume a biofilm-like morphology as they adhere to ex vivo healthy human skin and that the cultures’ extracellular matrix (ECM) is composed of extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) and extracellular DNA (eDNA). Both bacterial cultures, as well as isolated S. aureus biofilm eDNA, conferred cutaneous protection against UVB-induced apoptosis. This work emphasized the importance of skin microbiota representatives in the maintenance of a healthy cutaneous redox balance by activating the skin’s natural defense mechanism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Advance in Skin Microbiome)
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14 pages, 2202 KiB  
Article
Investigation of Age-Related Changes in the Skin Microbiota of Korean Women
by Minseok Kim, Tansol Park, Jung Im Yun, Hye Won Lim, Na Rae Han and Seung Tae Lee
Microorganisms 2020, 8(10), 1581; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8101581 - 14 Oct 2020
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3417
Abstract
The microbiota of human skin is influenced by host and environmental factors. To determine if chronological age influences the composition of the skin microbiota on the forehead and hands, 73 Korean women were sorted into one of three age groups: (1) 10–29 years [...] Read more.
The microbiota of human skin is influenced by host and environmental factors. To determine if chronological age influences the composition of the skin microbiota on the forehead and hands, 73 Korean women were sorted into one of three age groups: (1) 10–29 years (n = 24), (2) 30–49 years (n = 21), and (3) 50–79 years (n = 28). From the 73 women, 146 skin samples (two skin sites per person) were collected. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was then conducted to analyze the skin microbiota. The overall microbial distribution varied on the forehead but was similar on the hands across the three age groups. In addition, the composition of the skin microbiota differed between the forehead and hands. Commensal microbiota, such as Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Cutibacterium, and Corynebacterium, which contribute to maintaining skin health via dominant occupation, were affected by increasing age on forehead and hand skin. Alpha diversity indices increased significantly with age on forehead skin. This study indicates that older people may be more susceptible to pathogenic invasions due to an imbalanced skin microbiota resulting from age-related changes. The results of our study may help develop new strategies to rebalance skin microbiota shifted during aging. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Advance in Skin Microbiome)
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11 pages, 1818 KiB  
Article
Skin Bacteria Mediate Glycerol Fermentation to Produce Electricity and Resist UV-B
by Arun Balasubramaniam, Prakoso Adi, Tra My Do Thi, Jen-Ho Yang, Asy Syifa Labibah and Chun-Ming Huang
Microorganisms 2020, 8(7), 1092; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8071092 - 21 Jul 2020
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4911
Abstract
Bacteria that use electron transport proteins in the membrane to produce electricity in the gut microbiome have been identified recently. However, the identification of electrogenic bacteria in the skin microbiome is almost completely unexplored. Using a ferric iron-based ferrozine assay, we have identified [...] Read more.
Bacteria that use electron transport proteins in the membrane to produce electricity in the gut microbiome have been identified recently. However, the identification of electrogenic bacteria in the skin microbiome is almost completely unexplored. Using a ferric iron-based ferrozine assay, we have identified the skin Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis) as an electrogenic bacterial strain. Glycerol fermentation was essential for the electricity production of S. epidermidis since the inhibition of fermentation by 5-methyl furfural (5-MF) significantly diminished the bacterial electricity measured by voltage changes in a microbial fuel cell (MFC). A small-scale chamber with both anode and cathode was fabricated in order to study the effect of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) on electricity production and bacterial resistance to UV-B. Although UV-B lowered bacterial electricity, a prolonged incubation of S. epidermidis in the presence of glycerol promoted fermentation and elicited higher electricity to suppress the effect of UV-B. Furthermore, the addition of glycerol into S. epidermidis enhanced bacterial resistance to UV-B. Electricity produced by human skin commensal bacteria may be used as a dynamic biomarker to reflect the UV radiation in real-time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Advance in Skin Microbiome)
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Review

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13 pages, 297 KiB  
Review
Association of Skin Microbiome with the Onset and Recurrence of Pressure Injury in Bedridden Elderly People
by Shigefumi Okamoto, Kazuhiro Ogai, Kanae Mukai and Junko Sugama
Microorganisms 2021, 9(8), 1603; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9081603 - 27 Jul 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3014
Abstract
Pressure injuries have been identified as one of the main health hazards among bedridden elderly people. Bedridden elderly people often stay in the same position for a long time, because they cannot switch positions; thus, the blood flow in the part of the [...] Read more.
Pressure injuries have been identified as one of the main health hazards among bedridden elderly people. Bedridden elderly people often stay in the same position for a long time, because they cannot switch positions; thus, the blood flow in the part of the body that is being compressed between the bed and their own weight is continuously blocked. As a result, redness and ulcers occur due to lacking oxygen and nutrients in the skin tissues, and these sites are often infected with microorganisms and, thus, become suppurative wounds, a condition commonly determined as pressure injuries. If left untreated, the pressure injury will recur with microbial infections, often resulting in cellulitis, osteomyelitis, and sepsis. The skin microbiome, in which many types of bacteria coexist, is formed on the skin surface. However, it remains unclear what characteristic of the skin microbiome among the bedridden elderly constitutes the development and severity of pressure injuries and the development of post-pressure injury infections. Thus, in this review article, we outlined the changes in the skin microbiome among the bedridden elderly people and their potential involvement in the onset and recurrence of pressure injuries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Advance in Skin Microbiome)
31 pages, 1242 KiB  
Review
Staphylococcus epidermidis and Cutibacterium acnes: Two Major Sentinels of Skin Microbiota and the Influence of Cosmetics
by Mathilde Fournière, Thomas Latire, Djouhar Souak, Marc G. J. Feuilloley and Gilles Bedoux
Microorganisms 2020, 8(11), 1752; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8111752 - 7 Nov 2020
Cited by 92 | Viewed by 14493
Abstract
Dermatological and cosmetics fields have recently started to focus on the human skin microbiome and microbiota, since the skin microbiota is involved in the health and dysbiosis of the skin ecosystem. Amongst the skin microorganisms, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Cutibacterium acnes, both commensal [...] Read more.
Dermatological and cosmetics fields have recently started to focus on the human skin microbiome and microbiota, since the skin microbiota is involved in the health and dysbiosis of the skin ecosystem. Amongst the skin microorganisms, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Cutibacterium acnes, both commensal bacteria, appear as skin microbiota sentinels. These sentinels have a key role in the skin ecosystem since they protect and prevent microbiota disequilibrium by fighting pathogens and participate in skin homeostasis through the production of beneficial bacterial metabolites. These bacteria adapt to changing skin microenvironments and can shift to being opportunistic pathogens, forming biofilms, and thus are involved in common skin dysbiosis, such as acne or atopic dermatitis. The current evaluation methods for cosmetic active ingredient development are discussed targeting these two sentinels with their assets and limits. After identification of these objectives, research of the active cosmetic ingredients and products that maintain and promote these commensal metabolisms, or reduce their pathogenic forms, are now the new challenges of the skincare industry in correlation with the constant development of adapted evaluation methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Advance in Skin Microbiome)
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19 pages, 615 KiB  
Review
Skin Microbiome Analysis for Forensic Human Identification: What Do We Know So Far?
by Pamela Tozzo, Gabriella D’Angiolella, Paola Brun, Ignazio Castagliuolo, Sarah Gino and Luciana Caenazzo
Microorganisms 2020, 8(6), 873; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8060873 - 9 Jun 2020
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 5160
Abstract
Microbiome research is a highly transdisciplinary field with a wide range of applications and methods for studying it, involving different computational approaches and models. The fact that different people host radically different microbiota highlights forensic perspectives in understanding what leads to this variation [...] Read more.
Microbiome research is a highly transdisciplinary field with a wide range of applications and methods for studying it, involving different computational approaches and models. The fact that different people host radically different microbiota highlights forensic perspectives in understanding what leads to this variation and what regulates it, in order to effectively use microbes as forensic evidence. This narrative review provides an overview of some of the main scientific works so far produced, focusing on the potentiality of using skin microbiome profiling for human identification in forensics. This review was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The examined literature clearly ascertains that skin microbial communities, although personalized, vary systematically across body sites and time, with intrapersonal differences over time smaller than interpersonal ones, showing such a high degree of spatial and temporal variability that the degree and nature of this variability can constitute in itself an important parameter useful in distinguishing individuals from one another. Even making the effort to organically synthesize all results achieved until now, it is quite evident that these results are still the pieces of a puzzle, which is not yet complete. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Advance in Skin Microbiome)
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