Han-Hee Na, Seil Kim, Jun-Seob Kim, Soohyun Lee, Yeseul Kim, Su-Hyun Kim, Choong-Hwan Lee, Dohyeon Kim, Sung Ho Yoon, Haeyoung Jeong, Daehyuk Kweon, Hwi Won Seo, Choong-Min Ryu
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, facemasks played a pivotal role in preventing person-person droplet transmission of viral particles. However, prolonged facemask wearing causes skin irritations colloquially referred to as 'maskne' (mask + acne), which manifests as acne and contact dermatitis and is mostly caused by pathogenic skin microbes. Previous studies revealed that the putative causal microbes were anaerobic bacteria, but the pathogenesis of facemask-associated skin conditions remains poorly defined. We therefore characterized the role of the facemask-associated skin microbiota in the development of maskne using culture-dependent and -independent methodologies. Metagenomic analysis revealed that the majority of the facemask microbiota were anaerobic bacteria that originated from the skin rather than saliva. Previous work demonstrated direct interaction between pathogenic bacteria and antagonistic strains in the microbiome. We expanded this analysis to include indirect interaction between pathogenic bacteria and other indigenous bacteria classified as either 'pathogen helper (PH)' or 'pathogen inhibitor (PIn)' strains. In vitro screening of bacteria isolated from facemasks identified both strains that antagonized and promoted pathogen growth. These data were validated using a mouse skin infection model, where we observed attenuation of symptoms following pathogen infection. Moreover, the inhibitor of pathogen helper (IPH) strain, which did not directly attenuate pathogen growth in vitro and in vivo, functioned to suppress symptom development and pathogen growth indirectly through PH inhibitory antibacterial products such as phenyl lactic acid. Taken together, our study is the first to define a mechanism by which indirect microbiota interactions under facemasks can control symptoms of maskne by suppressing a skin pathogen.
期刊介绍:
npj Biofilms and Microbiomes is a comprehensive platform that promotes research on biofilms and microbiomes across various scientific disciplines. The journal facilitates cross-disciplinary discussions to enhance our understanding of the biology, ecology, and communal functions of biofilms, populations, and communities. It also focuses on applications in the medical, environmental, and engineering domains. The scope of the journal encompasses all aspects of the field, ranging from cell-cell communication and single cell interactions to the microbiomes of humans, animals, plants, and natural and built environments. The journal also welcomes research on the virome, phageome, mycome, and fungome. It publishes both applied science and theoretical work. As an open access and interdisciplinary journal, its primary goal is to publish significant scientific advancements in microbial biofilms and microbiomes. The journal enables discussions that span multiple disciplines and contributes to our understanding of the social behavior of microbial biofilm populations and communities, and their impact on life, human health, and the environment.