Interference and co-existence of staphylococci and Cutibacterium acnes within the healthy human skin microbiome

Abstract

Human skin is populated by trillions of microbes collectively called the skin microbiome. Staphylococcus epidermidis and Cutibacterium acnes are among the most abundant members of this ecosystem, with described roles in skin health and disease. However, knowledge regarding the health beneficial effects of these ubiquitous skin residents is still limited. Here, we profiled the staphylococcal and C. acnes landscape across four different skin sites of 30 individuals (120 skin samples) using amplicon-based next-generation sequencing. Relative abundance profiles obtained indicated the existence of phylotype-specific co-existence and exclusion scenarios. Co-culture experiments with 557 staphylococcal strains identified 30 strains exhibiting anti-C. acnes activities. Notably, staphylococcal strains were found to selectively exclude acne-associated C. acnes and co-exist with healthy skin-associated phylotypes, through regulation of the antimicrobial activity. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of skin-resident staphylococci and suggest that selective microbial interference is a contributor to healthy skin homeostasis.

Biofilm formation and inflammatory potential of Staphylococcus saccharolyticus: A possible cause of orthopedic implant-associated infections

“…Knowledge about S. saccharolyticus is scarce. A recent study showed that this CoNS species is much more abundant on human skin than previously anticipated; it may represent a significant portion of the normal skin microbiota, in particular on the skin of the upper back (Ahle et al, 2020(Ahle et al, , 2022. The organism is often overlooked in culture-dependent studies due to its anaerobic, fastidious properties that are unusual for a CoNS species (Evans and Hallam, 1978).…”

“…Besides, S. saccharolyticus might be easily outcompeted by fast-growing species such as S. epidermidis on standard growth media. This could be one of the reasons why S. saccharolyticus remained overlooked in culture-dependent studies (Ahle et al, 2020(Ahle et al, , 2022. Regarding culture-independent studies, the lack of sufficient sequence differences in the 16S rRNA gene compared to other CoNS species and the lack of available reference genomes of S. saccharolyticus before 2019 caused frequent misidentifications (Brüggemann et al, 2019).…”

“…A slow-growing CoNS species with a preference for anoxic growth conditions is Staphylococcus saccharolyticus ( Evans and Hallam, 1978 ; Evans and Mattern, 1978 ). This species has recently been determined as the third most abundant CoNS species on human skin ( Ahle et al, 2020 , 2022 ), but its role on normal human skin is unknown. Also currently unknown is the frequency of S. saccharolyticus -caused or -associated infections, although some clinical cases have previously been reported, such as pyomyositis, bone marrow infections, endocarditis, spondylodiscitis, pneumonia, low-grade infections of the shoulder and a hospital outbreak of bacteremia ( Steinbrueckner et al, 2001 ; Godreuil et al, 2005 ; Wu et al, 2009 ; Schneeberger et al, 2012 ; Liu et al, 2015 ; Young and Bhally, 2017 ).…”

Microbial Biosurfactant as an Alternate to Chemical Surfactants for Application in Cosmetics Industries in Personal and Skin Care Products: A Critical Review

“…The epidermal cells and skin bacteria have a complex relationship that enables various types of mutually beneficial microbes to inhabit the skin. These microorganisms can thrive in the skin's moist, dry, and oily regions located on the surface through selective colonization [ 4 , 5 ]. Numerous microorganisms that live on or in the skin confer significant advantages on their host.…”

“…Maintaining a healthy skin microbiome is crucial for overall human health, as the microflora need to be able to withstand environmental stressors such as naturally occurring toxins and the use of specific skincare and grooming products. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the microflora is provided within the appropriate environmental parameters [ 4 , 6 ].…”