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The phageome in normal and inflamed human skin
M Wielscher1, K Pfisterer1, D Samardzic1
1Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Science Advances
|September 29, 2023
Summary
Skin bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria) differ between healthy and atopic dermatitis (AD) skin. These distinct viral communities suggest a role in AD pathogenesis, impacting bacterial composition.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Virology
- Dermatology
Background:
- Skin microbiota dysbiosis is a key factor in atopic dermatitis (AD) progression.
- The role of bacteriophages in the skin microbiome of healthy individuals versus AD patients remains largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the composition and diversity of bacteriophages in healthy and atopic dermatitis skin microbiomes.
- To determine if viral communities differ between normal and inflamed skin and their potential link to AD.
Main Methods:
- Shotgun metagenomic sequencing was performed on skin swabs from healthy individuals and AD patients.
- Viral metagenome-assembled genomes (vMAGs) were identified and analyzed.
- Quantitative PCR was used to validate specific vMAGs.
Main Results:
- Over 13,000 viral sequences were identified, assembling into 164 putative viral genomes, including 133 phages.
- Viral metagenome diversity did not correlate with AD status.
- A significant difference in 28 vMAGs was observed between normal and AD skin.
- Validated phages showed independence from host bacterium abundance.
Conclusions:
- Distinct bacteriophage communities, or phageomes, exist on normal versus inflamed skin.
- Changes in viral and bacterial communities may be causative factors in the development of skin pathology in atopic dermatitis.
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