Skin microbiota in health and disease: From sequencing to biology

Abstract

Microbiota live in a closely regulated interaction with their environment, and vice versa. The presence and absence of microbial entities is greatly influenced by features of the niche in which they thrive. Characteristic of this phenomenon is that different human skin sites harbor niche-specific communities of microbes. Microbial diversity is considerable, and the current challenge lies in determining which microbes and (corresponding) functionality are of importance to a given ecological niche. Furthermore, as there is increasing evidence of microbial involvement in health and disease, the need arises to fundamentally understand microbiome processes for application in health care, nutrition and personal care products (e.g. diet, cosmetics, probiotics). This review provides a current overview of state-of-the-art sequencing-based techniques and corresponding data analysis methodology for profiling of complex microbial communities. Furthermore, we also summarize the existing knowledge regarding cutaneous microbiota and their human host for a wide range of skin diseases.

Comparing different sample collection and storage methods for field‐based skin microbiome research

“…As such, our study lays the groundwork for future fieldbased anthropological investigations of the skin microbiome. Integrating human biology and skin microbiome research can strengthen our understanding of the microbial variation that exists across human populations (Yatsunenko et al, 2012), physical and social environments (Lane et al, 2019;Manus et al, 2020;Meehan et al, 2018), and contexts of health and disease (Ederveen et al, 2020;Naik et al, 2012;Scharschmidt et al, 2015).…”

“…Because the skin serves as the primary interface between the body and the surrounding environment, its microbial communities are constantly exposed to environmental factors, including plant and soil material (Selway et al, 2020;Vandegrift et al, 2019), household surfaces (Dunn et al, 2013;Flores et al, 2013;Lax et al, 2014), and microbiomes of other individuals (Dominguez-Bello et al, 2010;Engel et al, 2020). Furthermore, skin microbiome samples can be collected from multiple body sites (e.g., armpit, palm, and cheek), where local, nichespecific environmental conditions like pH or humidity dictate which microbes are able to persist on the skin (Ederveen et al, 2020;Grice et al, 2009). Thus, methodological approaches to skin microbiome research should take into consideration the signature variability of human skin.…”

A Journey on the Skin Microbiome: Pitfalls and Opportunities

“…Indeed, the research that has applied culture-independent approaches and NGS technology has produced the main advancements in our knowledge of the composition and function of this microbial community. Therefore, we mainly focused on such recent literature [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ].…”

“…As previously mentioned, NGS warranted technological advances that facilitated culture-independent approaches and presented a key requisite to understanding skin microbiota from a broader perspective [ 17 ]. In addition, it allowed for achieving a more comprehensive view and deeper insight into the complex microbial community inhabiting the human skin in terms of site specificity, temporal dynamics, and interpersonal variation [ 12 ].…”

Antimicrobial peptides and proteins: Interaction with the skin microbiota

“…Accordingly, a dysregulation in the fine-tuned balanced microbiota system may enhance the susceptibility for skin diseases. 1,2 To keep the microbiota in the preferred status, specific regulatory mechanisms are needed that balance and shape the microbiota. In this regard, host antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) may have a profound influence on the composition of the microbiota.…”