Charting host-microbe co-metabolism in skin aging and application to metagenomics data

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Dermatology
• Metagenomics

Background:

• Skin aging results from intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting skin structure and physiology.
• The skin microbiome's role in skin aging is significant but molecular mechanisms remain unclear.
• Understanding the interplay between skin aging and microbial metabolism is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the connection between the skin microbiome and human physiological processes in skin aging.
• To identify specific bacterial metabolic pathways associated with skin aging.
• To explore potential microbial targets for intervening in skin aging.

Main Methods:

• Systematic study of interconnected human and bacterial metabolic pathways involved in skin aging.
• Development of Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) to screen bacterial genes for specific functionalities.
• Application of HMMs to genomic, metagenomic, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing data from skin microbiota of young and old female volunteers.

Main Results:

• Key bacterial pathways associated with aging skin involve the production of pigmentation intermediates, fatty acids, and ceramides.
• Evidence suggests a link between skin aging and bacterial enzymes involved in protein glycation.
• Significant differences in microbial metabolic pathways were observed between young and old skin microbiota.

Conclusions:

• Bacterial metabolic pathways play a crucial role in the aging of human skin.
• The identified pathways offer novel insights into microbial contributions to skin aging.
• These findings provide potential leads for developing microbiome-based interventions to mitigate skin aging.