Propionibacterium acnes strain populations in the human skin microbiome associated with acne

Kate

The human skin microbiome plays important roles in skin health and disease. However, bacterial population structure and diversity at the strain level is poorly understood. We compared the skin microbiome at the strain level and genome level of Propionibacterium acnes, a dominant skin commensal, between 49 acne patients and 52 healthy individuals by sampling the pilosebaceous units on their noses. Metagenomic analysis demonstrated that while the relative abundances of P. acnes were similar, the strain population structures were significantly different in the two cohorts. Certain strains were highly associated with acne and other strains were enriched in healthy skin. By sequencing 66 previously unreported P. acnes strains and comparing 71 P. acnes genomes, we identified potential genetic determinants of various P. acnes strains in association with acne or health. Our analysis suggests that acquired DNA sequences and bacterial immune elements may play roles in determining virulence properties of P. acnes strains and some could be future targets for therapeutic interventions. This study demonstrates a previously unreported paradigm of commensal strain populations that could explain the pathogenesis of human diseases. It underscores the importance of strain level analysis of the human microbiome to define the role of commensals in health and disease.

The diversity of the human microbiota at the strain level and its association with human health and disease is largely unknown. However, many studies have shown that microbe-related human diseases are often caused by certain strains of a species, rather than the entire species being pathogenic. Examples include methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (Chambers and Deleo, 2009; Chen et al., 2010; Hansra and Shinkai) and Escherichia coli O157 (Chase-Topping et al., 2008; Tarr et al., 2005). Acne vulgaris (commonly called acne) is one of the most common skin diseases with a prevalence of up to 85% of teenagers and 11% of adults (White, 1998). Although the etiology and pathogenesis of acne are still unclear, microbial involvement is considered one of the main mechanisms contributing to the development of acne (Bojar and Holland, 2004; Cunliffe, 2002). In particular, Propionibacterium acnes has been hypothesized to be an important pathogenic factor (Webster, 1995). Antibiotic therapy targeting P. acnes has been a mainstay treatment for more than 30 years (Leyden, 2001). However, despite decades of study, it is still not clear how P. acnes contributes to acne pathogenesis while being a major commensal of the normal skin flora (Bek-Thomsen et al., 2008; Cogen et al., 2008; Costello et al., 2009; Dominguez-Bello et al., 2010; Fierer et al., 2008; Gao et al., 2007; Grice et al., 2009). Whether P. acnes protects the human skin as a commensal bacterium or functions as a pathogenic factor in acne, or both, remains to be elucidated. […]

Click here to view original web page at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

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Sweat-eating bacteria may improve skin health

Kate

Bacteria that metabolize ammonia, a major component of sweat, may improve skin health and someday could be used for the treatment of skin disorders, such as acne or chronic wounds. In a study conducted by AOBiome LLC, human volunteers using the bacteria reported better skin condition and appearance compared with a placebo control group. The researchers presented the study results at the 5th ASM Conference on Beneficial Microbes in Washington, DC.

American Society for Microbiology. “Sweat-eating bacteria may improve skin health.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 29 September 2014. 

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Probiotics: Cure for Acne?

Kate

Your odds of having acne may depend on whether the “good” strain of a particular type of bacteria lives on your skin, a new study suggests.

“People never think of wanting to have good bacteria on their skin,” said lead author Huiying Li, an assistant professor of molecular and medical pharmacology at the University of California, Los Angeles. “But some of them you should love.” It’s the presence of acne-defeating bacteria that allows people without acne to live relatively pimple-free, she explained.

Li and her team studied the bacterial strains on people’s faces using genomic analysis of microbial DNA. They discovered that the bacteria responsible for acne — called Propionibacterium acnes or P. acnes — are more complex than previously understood.

When studied at the genomic level, bacteria with the same name were actually representative of three different strains. People with acne tend to have one or two of the strains associated with the condition, while those with healthy skin have a good strain that seems to destroy offending bacteria.

So whether or not you develop acne may be tied to what strain of P. acnes your skin carries.

The strain of P. acnes that is associated with healthy skin works much like the way live bacteria in yogurt help defend the intestines from harmful bacteria, Li said.

“Our next step will be to explore whether a probiotic cream might block bad bacteria from invading the skin, preventing pimples before they start,” Li said. She hopes to find a way to transplant the good strain of bacteria that is plentiful on the faces of people with healthy skin to those with acne.

Acne is the most common skin condition in the United States, affecting 40 to 50 million people — primarily teens and young adults — but it can strike at any age, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Li said archeological records show the disease goes back to ancient Egypt, where Pharaohs used magic and spells to try to treat the problem. Acne is typically treated with oral medications such as antibiotics, and topical creams that can help reduce oil on the skin and kill bacteria.

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Nose Microbiome

Nasal Microbiome

There has been great interest in unraveling the complex inter-relationships between microbes and humans as they relate to human health and disease. This review will focus on recent advances in the appreciation and understanding of these relationships in terms of the upper respiratory tract, specifically the nose and paranasal sinuses.

The Nasal and Sinus Microbiome in Health and Disease

 

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UroGenital Microbiome

UroGenital Microbiome

♀ Female

The Vaginal Microbiome: Rethinking Health and Diseases

Composition of Female Genital Tract Microbiome May Affect Risk of HIV Infection

Researchers found that those women who had high-diversity bacterial communities with low Lactobacillus abundance had a four-fold increase in HIV incidence compared with those who had a cervicotype that was dominated by one type of bacterium, Lactobacillus crispatus.

As research is done on the human body, it is becoming clear that it is not only itself a living organism, but it is also home to thousands of species of microbes. Surprisingly, most of these microbes are not only benign but are helpful to the body in a variety of capacities. In particular, Lactobacillus crispatus, which is found in the vagina of healthy females, is an integral part of the delicate bacterial fauna that grows there.

Bacterial Vaginosis (BV)


♂ Male

 

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