npj Biofilms and Microbiomes (Jan 2025)
Life stage impact on the human skin ecosystem: lipids and the microbial community
- Martin P. Pagac,
- Bala Davient,
- Luca Antonio Plado,
- Hilbert Yuen In Lam,
- Shi Mun Lee,
- Aarthi Ravikrishnan,
- Wee Ling Esther Chua,
- Sneha Muralidharan,
- Aishwarya Sridharan,
- Antony S. Irudayaswamy,
- Ramasamy Srinivas,
- Stephen Wearne,
- Ahmad Nazri Mohamed Naim,
- Eliza Xin Pei Ho,
- H. Q. Amanda Ng,
- Junmei Samantha Kwah,
- Eileen Png,
- Anne K. Bendt,
- Markus R. Wenk,
- Federico Torta,
- Niranjan Nagarajan,
- John Common,
- Yap Seng Chong,
- Elizabeth Huiwen Tham,
- Lynette Pei-Chi Shek,
- Evelyn Xiu Ling Loo,
- John Chambers,
- Yik Weng Yew,
- Marie Loh,
- Thomas L. Dawson
Affiliations
- Martin P. Pagac
- A*STAR Skin Research Labs (A*SRL), Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR) & Skin Research Institute of Singapore (SRIS)
- Bala Davient
- A*STAR Skin Research Labs (A*SRL), Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR) & Skin Research Institute of Singapore (SRIS)
- Luca Antonio Plado
- A*STAR Skin Research Labs (A*SRL), Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR) & Skin Research Institute of Singapore (SRIS)
- Hilbert Yuen In Lam
- A*STAR Skin Research Labs (A*SRL), Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR) & Skin Research Institute of Singapore (SRIS)
- Shi Mun Lee
- A*STAR Skin Research Labs (A*SRL), Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR) & Skin Research Institute of Singapore (SRIS)
- Aarthi Ravikrishnan
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
- Wee Ling Esther Chua
- SLING, Singapore Lipidomics Incubator, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore
- Sneha Muralidharan
- SLING, Singapore Lipidomics Incubator, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore
- Aishwarya Sridharan
- A*STAR Skin Research Labs (A*SRL), Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR) & Skin Research Institute of Singapore (SRIS)
- Antony S. Irudayaswamy
- A*STAR Skin Research Labs (A*SRL), Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR) & Skin Research Institute of Singapore (SRIS)
- Ramasamy Srinivas
- A*STAR Skin Research Labs (A*SRL), Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR) & Skin Research Institute of Singapore (SRIS)
- Stephen Wearne
- A*STAR Skin Research Labs (A*SRL), Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR) & Skin Research Institute of Singapore (SRIS)
- Ahmad Nazri Mohamed Naim
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
- Eliza Xin Pei Ho
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
- H. Q. Amanda Ng
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
- Junmei Samantha Kwah
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
- Eileen Png
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
- Anne K. Bendt
- SLING, Singapore Lipidomics Incubator, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore
- Markus R. Wenk
- SLING, Singapore Lipidomics Incubator, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore
- Federico Torta
- SLING, Singapore Lipidomics Incubator, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore
- Niranjan Nagarajan
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
- John Common
- A*STAR Skin Research Labs (A*SRL), Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR) & Skin Research Institute of Singapore (SRIS)
- Yap Seng Chong
- Institute for Human Development and Potential (IHDP), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 30 Medical Drive
- Elizabeth Huiwen Tham
- Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS)
- Lynette Pei-Chi Shek
- Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS)
- Evelyn Xiu Ling Loo
- Institute for Human Development and Potential (IHDP), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 30 Medical Drive
- John Chambers
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Clinical Sciences Building
- Yik Weng Yew
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Clinical Sciences Building
- Marie Loh
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
- Thomas L. Dawson
- A*STAR Skin Research Labs (A*SRL), Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR) & Skin Research Institute of Singapore (SRIS)
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-025-00652-7
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 11,
no. 1
pp. 1 – 12
Abstract
Abstract Sebaceous free fatty acids are metabolized by multiple skin microbes into bioactive lipid mediators termed oxylipins. This study investigated correlations between skin oxylipins and microbes on the superficial skin of pre-pubescent children (N = 36) and adults (N = 100), including pre- (N = 25) and post-menopausal females (N = 25). Lipidomics and metagenomics revealed that Malassezia restricta positively correlated with the oxylipin 9,10-DiHOME on adult skin and negatively correlated with its precursor, 9,10-EpOME, on pre-pubescent skin. Co-culturing Malassezia with keratinocytes demonstrated a link between 9,10-DiHOME and pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-6 production. We also observed strong correlations between other skin oxylipins and microbial taxa, highlighting life stage differences in sebum production and microbial community composition. Our findings imply a complex host-microbe communication system mediated by lipid metabolism occurring on human skin, warranting further research into its role in skin health and disease and paving the way towards novel therapeutic targets and treatments.
