Submit to Microorganisms Review for Microorganisms Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Human Skin Microbiota

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2022) | Viewed by 91765

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Holger Brüggemann

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Skou Building, Høegh-Guldbergs Gade 10, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
Interests: skin microbiota; skin microbiome; Cutibacteria; Cutibacterium acnes; acne; coagulase-negative staphylococci; Finegoldia; Clostridium tetani; implant-associated infections; prosthetic joint infections
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Rolf Lood

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Biomedical Center, Lunds Universitet, Lund, Sweden
Interests: benevolent bacteria; skin microbiota; bacteriophages; Cutibacterium acnes; antimicrobial resistance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The human skin is colonized by complex communities of bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Different skin sites host their own microbial communities, with a large interpersonal variation. There are also some common trends such as the abundance of cutibacteria and coagulase-negative staphylococci at certain skin sites. Recent years also highlighted the large intraspecific diversity, for example, concerning the bacterial species Cutibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis.

We are beginning to understand microbial population dynamics on human skin and the underlying shaping factors, such as interferences of skin microorganisms, as well as the functional impact of the skin microbiota, including species- and strain-specific host-interacting properties and their consequences.

The objective of this Special Issue of Microorganisms is to present latest research regarding the human skin microbiota in health and disease and insights into the microbiology and genomics of individual skin microorganisms. This also includes technical procedures and exploratory studies to investigate the composition and function of the skin microbiome. In addition, this Special Issue aims to present research regarding health-beneficial and -detrimental effects of the skin microbiota and the possible exploitation and modulation for skin barrier-protective therapeutic strategies, including pre- and probiotic solutions. Original research articles, as well as review articles, are invited.

Prof. Dr. Holger Brüggemann
Dr. Rolf Lood
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

skin microbiota
skin microbiome
skin metagenome
skin microorganism
Staphylococcus
Cutibacterium
Corynebacterium
Finegoldia, Malassezia
phage
population genetics
microbial genomics
next generation sequencing
strain diversity
antimicrobials
bacterial interference
immune system interaction
colonization resistance
prebiotics
probiotics

Published Papers (11 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

21 pages, 2146 KiB

Open AccessArticle

First Description of the Composition and the Functional Capabilities of the Skin Microbial Community Accompanying Severe Scabies Infestation in Humans

by Charlotte Bernigaud, Martha Zakrzewski, Sara Taylor, Pearl M. Swe, Anthony T. Papenfuss, Kadaba S. Sriprakash, Deborah Holt, Olivier Chosidow, Bart J. Currie and Katja Fischer

Microorganisms 2021, 9(5), 907; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9050907 - 23 Apr 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5123

Abstract

Epidemiological studies link Sarcoptes scabiei infection and impetigo. Scabies mites can promote Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A Streptococcus) and Staphylococcus aureus infections by breaching the skin barrier and excreting molecules that inhibit host innate immune responses. However, little is known about the composition and the function of the scabies-associated microbiota. Here, high-throughput whole-metagenome sequencing was used to explore the scabies-associated microbiome. Scabies mites including their immediate microenvironments were isolated from two patients with severe scabies in Northern Australia. Two ~45–50 million paired-end reads Illumina libraries were generated of which ~2 (5.1%) and 0.7 million (1.3%) microbial reads were filtered out by mapping to human (hg19) and mite draft genomes. Taxonomic profiling revealed a microbial community dominated by the phylum Firmicutes (A: 79% and B: 59%) and genera that comprise Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Acinetobacter, and Corynebacterium. Assembly of the metagenome reads resulted in genome bins representing reference genomes of Acinetobacter baumannii, Streptococcus dysgalactiae (Group C/G), Proteus mirablis and Staphylococcus aureus. The contigs contained genes relevant to pathogenicity and antibiotics resistance. Confocal microscopy of a patient skin sample confirmed A. baumannii, Streptococci and S. aureus in scabies mite gut and faeces and the surrounding skin. The study provides fundamental evidence for the association of opportunistic pathogens with scabies infection. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Skin Microbiota)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 1555 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improvement of Atopic Dermatitis by Synbiotic Baths

by Matthias Noll, Michael Jäger, Leonie Lux, Christian Buettner and Michaela Axt-Gadermann

Microorganisms 2021, 9(3), 527; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9030527 - 04 Mar 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2527

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a widespread chronic inflammatory dermatologic disorder. This randomized, double-blind study aims to evaluate the effect of synbiotic baths with a defined mixture of six viable lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and prebiotics, without bacteria and prebiotics and placebo baths without prebiotics and bacteria to treat AD patients over a period of 14 days. Therefore, AD patients were randomly assigned into three groups using synbiotic (n = 7), prebiotics (n = 8) or placebo baths (n = 7). Severity of AD was evaluated over time by using severity scoring of atopic dermatitis (SCORAD) and by patient questionnaires. In addition, microbiome on eczematous skin surface was sampled by swaps from each patient before the bath treatment, and after 9, 11 and 14 days of bath treatment. Thereafter, nucleic acids were extracted and the bacterial 16S rRNA gene was amplified via PCR for subsequent amplicon sequencing. Results showed a significantly reduced SCORAD over time of AD patients after daily synbiotic or prebiotic baths. Moreover, AD patients after daily synbiotic baths had a significantly improved pruritus and skin dryness and their bacterial microbiome was enriched by LAB. Taken together, a synbiotic bath is a promising topical skin application to alleviate AD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Skin Microbiota)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 3703 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Staphylococcal Communities on Skin Are Associated with Atopic Dermatitis and Disease Severity

by Sofie Marie Edslev, Caroline Meyer Olesen, Line Brok Nørreslet, Anna Cäcilia Ingham, Søren Iversen, Berit Lilje, Maja-Lisa Clausen, Jørgen Skov Jensen, Marc Stegger, Tove Agner and Paal Skytt Andersen

Microorganisms 2021, 9(2), 432; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9020432 - 19 Feb 2021

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 4110

Abstract

The skin microbiota of atopic dermatitis (AD) patients is characterized by increased Staphylococcus aureus colonization, which exacerbates disease symptoms and has been linked to reduced bacterial diversity. Skin bacterial communities in AD patients have mostly been described at family and genus levels, while species-level characterization has been limited. In this study, we investigated the role of the bacteria belonging to the Staphylococcus genus using targeted sequencing of the tuf gene with genus-specific primers. We compared staphylococcal communities on lesional and non-lesional skin of AD patients, as well as AD patients with healthy controls, and determined the absolute abundance of bacteria present at each site. We observed that the staphylococcal community, bacterial alpha diversity, and bacterial densities were similar on lesional and non-lesional skin, whereas AD severity was associated with significant changes in staphylococcal composition. Increased S. aureus, Staphylococcus capitis, and Staphylococcus lugdunensis abundances were correlated with increased severity. Conversely, Staphylococcus hominis abundance was negatively correlated with severity. Furthermore, S. hominis relative abundance was reduced on AD skin compared to healthy skin. In conclusion, various staphylococcal species appear to be important for skin health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Skin Microbiota)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 3715 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Environmental Influences of High-Density Agricultural Animal Operation on Human Forearm Skin Microflora

by Mengfei Peng and Debabrata Biswas

Microorganisms 2020, 8(10), 1481; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8101481 - 26 Sep 2020

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2463

Abstract

The human forearm skin microbiome ecosystem contains rich and diverse microbes, which are influenced by environmental exposures. The microbial representatives can be exchanged between human and environment, specifically animals, by which they share certain or similar epidermal microbes. Livestock and poultry are the microbial sources that are associated with the transmission of community-based pathogenic infections. Here, in this study, we proposed investigating the environmental influences introduced by livestock/poultry operations on forearm skin microflora of on-site farm workers. A total of 30 human skin swab samples were collected from 20 animal workers in dairy or integrated farms and 10 healthy volunteer controls. The skin microbiome was 16S metagenomics that were sequenced with Illumina MiSeq system. For skin microbial community analysis, the abundance of major phyla and genera as well as alpha and beta diversities were compared across groups. We identified distinctive microbial compositional patterns on skin of workers in farm with different animal commodities. Workers in integrated farms containing various animals were associated with higher abundances of epidermal Proteobacteria, especially Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter, but lower Actinobacteria, especially Corynebacterium and Propionibacterium. For those workers with frequent dairy cattle operations, their Firmicutes in the forearm skin microbiota were enriched. Furthermore, farm animal operations also reduced Staphylococcus and Streptococcus, as well as modulated the microbial biodiversity in farm workers’ skin microbiome. The alterations of forearm skin microflora in farm workers, influenced by their frequent farm animal operations, may increase their risk in skin infections with unusual pathogens and epidermal diseases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Skin Microbiota)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 1251 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Staphylococcus saccharolyticus: An Overlooked Human Skin Colonizer

by Charlotte M. Ahle, Kristian Stødkilde, Mastaneh Afshar, Anja Poehlein, Lesley A. Ogilvie, Bo Söderquist, Jennifer Hüpeden and Holger Brüggemann

Microorganisms 2020, 8(8), 1105; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8081105 - 23 Jul 2020

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 7019

Abstract

Coagulase-negative staphylococcal species constitute an important part of the human skin microbiota. In particular, facultative anaerobic species such as Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus capitis can be found on the skin of virtually every human being. Here, we applied a culture-independent amplicon sequencing approach to identify staphylococcal species on the skin of healthy human individuals. While S. epidermidis and S. capitis were found as primary residents of back skin, surprisingly, the third most abundant member was Staphylococcus saccharolyticus, a relatively unstudied species. A search of skin metagenomic datasets detected sequences identical to the genome of S. saccharolyticus in diverse skin sites, including the back, forehead, and elbow pit. Although described as a slow-growing anaerobic species, a re-evaluation of its growth behavior showed that S. saccharolyticus can grow under oxic conditions, and, in particular, in a CO₂-rich atmosphere. We argue here that S. saccharolyticus was largely overlooked in previous culture-dependent and -independent studies, due to its requirement for fastidious growth conditions and the lack of reference genome sequences, respectively. Future studies are needed to unravel the microbiology and host-interacting properties of S. saccharolyticus and its role as a prevalent skin colonizer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Skin Microbiota)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 1904 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 as a Novel Topical Cosmetic Ingredient: A Proof of Concept Clinical Study in Adults with Atopic Dermatitis

by Éile Butler, Christoffer Lundqvist and Jakob Axelsson

Microorganisms 2020, 8(7), 1026; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8071026 - 11 Jul 2020

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 6876

Abstract

Atopic Dermatitis (AD) is a chronically relapsing skin condition characterized by dry, itchy, and inflamed skin where sufferers can frequently be subject to infections. Probiotics are known to be potent immune-modulators, and live Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 has shown to be anti-inflammatory but also to possess antimicrobial and barrier function properties. This study aimed to investigate and compare two investigational ointment products (topical probiotic and control) for cutaneous acceptability, safety, and efficacy under normal conditions of use, in adult subjects with atopic dermatitis. The products were applied twice daily for 8 weeks, and cutaneous acceptability, SCORAD index, local SCORAD, and adverse events were evaluated after 4 and 8 weeks of treatment. At the end of the observations, it was demonstrated that both the probiotic-containing and probiotic-free ointments were both cutaneously acceptable and safe. It importantly showed a statistically and clinically significant improvement of the SCORAD index and local SCORAD in adult subjects with AD after 4 and 8 weeks of continuous use. In conclusion, we show evidence that the probiotic product, containing live L. reuteri DSM 17938 as an extra ingredient, is safe and promising as a novel topical cosmetic ointment and with further testing could be a standard topical product for the management of atopic dermatitis or other disorders associated with the skin. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Skin Microbiota)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

11 pages, 1201 KiB

Open AccessReview

Challenging Cosmetic Innovation: The Skin Microbiota and Probiotics Protect the Skin from UV-Induced Damage

by Djouhar Souak, Magalie Barreau, Aurélie Courtois, Valérie André, Cécile Duclairoir Poc, Marc G. J. Feuilloley and Manon Gault

Microorganisms 2021, 9(5), 936; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9050936 - 27 Apr 2021

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 7614

Abstract

Many studies performed in the last decade have focused on the cutaneous microbiota. It has been shown that this microbiota plays a key role in skin homeostasis. Considered as “a second barrier” to the environment, it is very important to know how it reacts to exogenous aggressions. The cosmetics industry has a started to use this microbiota as a source of natural ingredients, particularly ones that confer photoprotection against ultraviolet (UV) rays. Interestingly, it has been demonstrated that bacterial molecules can block UV rays or reverse their harmful effects. Oral probiotics containing living microorganisms have also shown promising results in restoring skin homeostasis and reversing the negative effects of UV rays. Microbial-based active sunscreen compounds have huge potential for use as next-generation photoprotection products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Skin Microbiota)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 1852 KiB

Open AccessReview

Update on Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci—What the Clinician Should Know

by Ricarda Michels, Katharina Last, Sören L. Becker and Cihan Papan

Microorganisms 2021, 9(4), 830; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9040830 - 14 Apr 2021

Cited by 62 | Viewed by 11087

Abstract

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are among the most frequently recovered bacteria in routine clinical care. Their incidence has steadily increased over the past decades in parallel to the advancement in medicine, especially in regard to the utilization of foreign body devices. Many new species have been described within the past years, while clinical information to most of those species is still sparse. In addition, interspecies differences that render some species more virulent than others have to be taken into account. The distinct populations in which CoNS infections play a prominent role are preterm neonates, patients with implanted medical devices, immunodeficient patients, and those with other relevant comorbidities. Due to the property of CoNS to colonize the human skin, contamination of blood cultures or other samples occurs frequently. Hence, the main diagnostic hurdle is to correctly identify the cases in which CoNS are causative agents rather than contaminants. However, neither phenotypic nor genetic tools have been able to provide a satisfying solution to this problem. Another dilemma of CoNS in clinical practice pertains to their extensive antimicrobial resistance profile, especially in healthcare settings. Therefore, true infections caused by CoNS most often necessitate the use of second-line antimicrobial drugs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Skin Microbiota)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 2143 KiB

Open AccessReview

From Dysbiosis to Healthy Skin: Major Contributions of Cutibacterium acnes to Skin Homeostasis

by Miquel Rozas, Astrid Hart de Ruijter, Maria Jose Fabrega, Amine Zorgani, Marc Guell, Bernhard Paetzold and Francois Brillet

Microorganisms 2021, 9(3), 628; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9030628 - 18 Mar 2021

Cited by 50 | Viewed by 9704

Abstract

Cutibacterium acnes is the most abundant bacterium living in human, healthy and sebum-rich skin sites, such as the face and the back. This bacterium is adapted to this specific environment and therefore could have a major role in local skin homeostasis. To assess the role of this bacterium in healthy skin, this review focused on (i) the abundance of C. acnes in the skin microbiome of healthy skin and skin disorders, (ii) its major contributions to human skin health, and (iii) skin commensals used as probiotics to alleviate skin disorders. The loss of C. acnes relative abundance and/or clonal diversity is frequently associated with skin disorders such as acne, atopic dermatitis, rosacea, and psoriasis. C. acnes, and the diversity of its clonal population, contributes actively to the normal biophysiological skin functions through, for example, lipid modulation, niche competition and oxidative stress mitigation. Compared to gut probiotics, limited dermatological studies have investigated skin probiotics with skin commensal strains, highlighting their unexplored potential. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Skin Microbiota)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 2347 KiB

Open AccessReview

Human Skin Microbiome: Impact of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors on Skin Microbiota

by Krzysztof Skowron, Justyna Bauza-Kaszewska, Zuzanna Kraszewska, Natalia Wiktorczyk-Kapischke, Katarzyna Grudlewska-Buda, Joanna Kwiecińska-Piróg, Ewa Wałecka-Zacharska, Laura Radtke and Eugenia Gospodarek-Komkowska

Microorganisms 2021, 9(3), 543; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9030543 - 05 Mar 2021

Cited by 81 | Viewed by 19034

Abstract

The skin is the largest organ of the human body and it protects the body from the external environment. It has become the topic of interest of researchers from various scientific fields. Microorganisms ensure the proper functioning of the skin. Of great importance, are the mutual relations between such microorganisms and their responses to environmental impacts, as dysbiosis may contribute to serious skin diseases. Molecular methods, used for microorganism identification, allow us to gain a better understanding of the skin microbiome. The presented article contains the latest reports on the skin microbiota in health and disease. The review discusses the relationship between a properly functioning microbiome and the body’s immune system, as well as the impact of internal and external factors on the human skin microbiome. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Skin Microbiota)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 2283 KiB

Open AccessReview

Cutibacterium acnes as an Opportunistic Pathogen: An Update of Its Virulence-Associated Factors

by Constance Mayslich, Philippe Alain Grange and Nicolas Dupin

Microorganisms 2021, 9(2), 303; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9020303 - 02 Feb 2021

Cited by 84 | Viewed by 13063

Abstract

Cutibacterium acnes is a member of the skin microbiota found predominantly in regions rich in sebaceous glands. It is involved in maintaining healthy skin and has long been considered a commensal bacterium. Its involvement in various infections has led to its emergence as an opportunist pathogen. Interactions between C. acnes and the human host, including the human skin microbiota, promote the selection of C. acnes strains capable of producing several virulence factors that increase inflammatory capability. This pathogenic property may be related to many infectious mechanisms, such as an ability to form biofilms and the expression of putative virulence factors capable of triggering host immune responses or enabling C. acnes to adapt to its environment. During the past decade, many studies have identified and characterized several putative virulence factors potentially involved in the pathogenicity of this bacterium. These virulence factors are involved in bacterial attachment to target cells, polysaccharide-based biofilm synthesis, molecular structures mediating inflammation, and the enzymatic degradation of host tissues. C. acnes, like other skin-associated bacteria, can colonize various ecological niches other than skin. It produces several proteins or glycoproteins that could be considered to be active virulence factors, enabling the bacterium to adapt to the lipophilic environment of the pilosebaceous unit of the skin, but also to the various organs it colonizes. In this review, we summarize current knowledge concerning characterized C. acnes virulence factors and their possible implication in the pathogenicity of C. acnes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Skin Microbiota)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Human Skin Microbiota

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (11 papers)

Research

Review

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI