Commensal Staphylococcus epidermidis contributes to skin barrier homeostasis by generating protective ceramides

Zheng, Yue; Hunt, Rachelle L.; Villaruz, Amer E.; Fisher, Emilie L.; Liu, Ryan; Liu, Qian; Cheung, Gordon Y. C.; Li, Min; Otto, Michael

doi:10.1016/j.chom.2022.01.004

Cited by 134 publications

(99 citation statements)

References 84 publications

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“…Augmentation of resident populations with cultured S. epidermidis was shown to increase the lipid content of the skin, suppress water evaporation and helped to maintain the skins acidic pH through the production of lactic acid, a metabolic endpoint of glycerol fermentation 35 . Even more intriguingly, recent investigations into the actions of S. epidermidis on skin have demonstrated the presence of an active secreted sphingomyelinase in S. epidermidis clinical isolates potentially contributary to the release of free ceramides on skin 36 . The increase in S. epidermidis numbers following lotion use in this study is considered to be in line with an improvement in the condition of the underlining stratum corneum and its associated commensal microbiome.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alteration of barrier properties, stratum corneum ceramides and microbiome composition in response to lotion application on cosmetic dry skin

Murphy

Grimshaw

Hoptroff

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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Xerosis, commonly referred to as dry skin, is a common dermatological condition affecting almost a third of the population. Successful treatment of the condition traditionally involves the application of cosmetic products facilitating the moisturisation of the skin with a range of ingredients including glycerol and fatty acids. While the effectiveness of these treatments is not in question, limited information exists on the impact on the skin microbiome following use of these products and the improvement in skin hydration. Here, we describe improvements in skin barrier properties together with increased levels of cholesterol, ceramides and long-chain fatty acids following application of Body Lotion. Concomitant alterations in the skin microbiome are also seen via 16S rRNA metataxonomics, in combination with both traditional and novel informatics analysis. Following 5 weeks of lotion use, beneficial skin bacteria are increased, with improvements in microbiome functional potential, and increases in pathways associated with biosynthesis of multiple long chain fatty acids.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alteration of barrier properties, stratum corneum ceramides and microbiome composition in response to lotion application on cosmetic dry skin

Murphy

Grimshaw

Hoptroff

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Interestingly, the sph gene encoding sphingomyelinase (also annotated as hlb in S. aureus ) appears to be of central importance during its commensal lifestyle, although sph transcription was even more pronounced during skin colonization than in the nose. Recently, it has been reported that sphingomyelinase activity, on the one hand, makes nutrients available to the bacterium (by cleaving sphingomyelin into phosphocholine and ceramide) and, on the other hand, contributes to the formation of the skin barrier through ceramide ( Zheng et al, 2022 ). In S. aureus , colonization was increased more than 50-fold in a mouse colonization model compared to the strain in which hlb was not produced, due to integration of the prophage ΦSa3mw.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Staphylococcus epidermidis Transcriptional Profile During Carriage

et al. 2022

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The virulence factors of the opportunistic human pathogen Staphylococcus epidermidis have been a main subject of research. In contrast, limited information is available on the mechanisms that allow the bacterium to accommodate to the conditions during carriage, a prerequisite for pathogenicity. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the adaptation of S. epidermidis at different anatomical sites is reflected by differential gene regulation. We used qPCR to profile S. epidermidis gene expression in vivo in nose and skin swabs of 11 healthy individuals. Despite some heterogeneity between individuals, significant site-specific differences were detected. For example, expression of the S. epidermidis regulator sarA was found similarly in the nose and on the skin of all individuals. Also, genes encoding colonization and immune evasion factors (sdrG, capC, and dltA), as well as the sphingomyelinase encoding gene sph, were expressed at both anatomical sites. In contrast, expression of the global regulator agr was almost inactive in the nose but readily present on the skin. A similar site-specific expression profile was also identified for the putative chitinase-encoding SE0760. In contrast, expression of the autolysine-encoding gene sceD and the wall teichoic acid (WTA) biosynthesis gene tagB were more pronounced in the nose as compared to the skin. In summary, our analysis identifies site-specific gene expression patterns of S. epidermidis during colonization. In addition, the observed expression signature was significantly different from growth in vitro. Interestingly, the strong transcription of sphingomyelinase together with the low expression of genes encoding the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) suggests very good nutrient supply in both anatomical niches, even on the skin where one might have suspected a rather lower nutrient supply compared to the nose.

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“…Several mechanisms explain how bacteria interact with the lipids of the skin barrier. One recent example is the commensal bacterium S. epidermis, which was found to secrete sphingomyelinase that is used by the host for the CER synthesis (Zheng et al, 2022). A study by Li et al (2017) has also reported a decrease in CERs CER[AH]C48, CER[EOH]C66, CER[EOH] C68, and CER[EOS]C70; TGs TG46:2, TG48:2, TG50:2, and TG50:3, and free FAs FFA16:1 and FFA18:1 in patients with AD colonized by S. aureus and show a correlation with a higher TEWL.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%