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Review
. 2015 Apr;72(8):1499-515.
doi: 10.1007/s00018-014-1812-z. Epub 2014 Dec 30.

Interactions between host factors and the skin microbiome

Adam SanMiguel  1 , Elizabeth A Grice
Affiliations
Review

Interactions between host factors and the skin microbiome

Adam SanMiguel et al. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2015 Apr.

Abstract

The skin is colonized by an assemblage of microorganisms which, for the most part, peacefully coexist with their hosts. In some cases, these communities also provide vital functions to cutaneous health through the modulation of host factors. Recent studies have illuminated the role of anatomical skin site, gender, age, and the immune system in shaping the cutaneous ecosystem. Alterations to microbial communities have also been associated with, and likely contribute to, a number of cutaneous disorders. This review focuses on the host factors that shape and maintain skin microbial communities, and the reciprocal role of microbes in modulating skin immunity. A greater understanding of these interactions is critical to elucidating the forces that shape cutaneous populations and their contributions to skin homeostasis. This knowledge can also inform the tendency of perturbations to predispose and/or bring about certain skin disorders.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Skin structure and morphology. The skin can be divided into two main layers, the epidermis (E) and dermis (D), and underlying regions of subcutaneous fat (SF). Hair follicles (HF) extend from the skin surface into the dermis and are often associated with sebaceous glands (SG). The epidermis contains distinct layers of keratinocytes at varying stages of development. Basal stem cells are found at the stratum basale while daughter cells mature to populate the stratum spinosum, stratum granulosum, and upon terminal differentiation, the stratum corneum
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Regional variation of skin microbial communities. The cutaneous microbiota varies according to body site and is strongly influenced by differences in cutaneous physiological environments. Each pie chart represents the mean bacterial community of a given biogeographic region. Sebaceous (red), moist (blue), and dry (green) regions are highlighted. Data from Grice et al. [13]
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Major skin immune cell subsets. Human skin is characterized by an array of innate and adaptive immune cells. In the epidermis, this includes Langerhans dendritic cells and CD8+ T cells. The dermis is home to a more varied population of innate dermal dendritic cells, NK cells, and mast cells, as well as adaptive CD4+ Th1, Th2, Th17, and Th22 cells
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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