Propionibacterium acnes Strain Populations in the Human Skin Microbiome Associated with Acne

Abstract

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.

A systematic literature review of the human skin microbiome as biomarker for dermatological drug development

“…In general, all case–control studies demonstrated similarly an increased microbial abundance of Propionibacterium acnes in the skin microbiome of patients with AV, compared to healthy 51, 52, 53. In addition, an association between a specific P. acnes strains and acne affected skin, and healthy skin respectively was demonstrated 51, 52. Acne improved and Propionibacterium abundance decreased after various treatments, together with an increase of microbial diversity in the two controlled studies.…”

“…Three (3) were case–control studies and two (2) were small single‐centre, controlled studies, of whom one was a double‐blind, randomized‐controlled trial. In general, all case–control studies demonstrated similarly an increased microbial abundance of Propionibacterium acnes in the skin microbiome of patients with AV, compared to healthy 51, 52, 53. In addition, an association between a specific P. acnes strains and acne affected skin, and healthy skin respectively was demonstrated 51, 52.…”

“…Five studies investigated the skin microbiome in patients with AV, Table 1 51, 52, 53, 54, 55. Three (3) were case–control studies and two (2) were small single‐centre, controlled studies, of whom one was a double‐blind, randomized‐controlled trial.…”

The diversity and host interactions of Propionibacterium acnes bacteriophages on human skin

“…They are a reservoir of diversity-generating elements (Rohwer and Thurber, 2009) and regulate both the abundance and diversity of their bacterial hosts by predation (Suttle et al, 1990;Waterbury and Valois, 1993;Rohwer, 2003;Rodriguez-Valera et al, 2009). Although the skin bacterial community has been studied by several groups (Gao et al, 2007;Costello et al, 2009;Grice et al, 2009;Kong et al, 2012;The Human Microbiome Project Consortium, 2012;Blaser et al, 2013;Fitz-Gibbon et al, 2013;Nakatsuji et al, 2013), relatively few studies have characterized the skin viral community (Foulongne et al, 2012;Ma et al, 2014;Wylie et al, 2014). In particular, the composition and dynamics of bacteriophages and their interactions with bacterial hosts on the skin are not well understood.…”

“…The microbial community in the skin pilosebaceous unit is dominated by Propionibacterium acnes, which accounts for nearly 90% of the microbiota (Fitz-Gibbon et al, 2013). Although P. acnes is a major skin commensal, it has been considered a pathogenic factor for acne vulgaris (Leyden, 2001;Bojar and Holland, 2004), one of the most common skin diseases affecting over 80% of adolescents and young adults (White, 1998;Bergler-Czop and Brzezińska-Wcisło, 2013).…”