• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• 제33권3호
• /
• pp.319-328
• /
• 2023

Malassezia and Staphylococcus are the most dominant genera in human skin microbiome. To explore the inter-kingdom interactions between the two genera, we examined the transcriptional changes in Malassezia and Staphylococcus species induced upon co-culturing. RNA-seq analyses revealed that genes encoding ribosomal proteins were upregulated, while those encoding aspartyl proteases were downregulated in M. restricta after co-culturing with Staphylococcus species. We identified MRET_3770 as a major secretory aspartyl protease coding gene in M. restricta through pepstatin-A affinity chromatography followed by mass spectrometry and found that the expression of MRET_3770 was significantly repressed upon co-culturing with Staphylococcus species or by incubation in media with reduced pH. Moreover, biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus was inhibited in the spent medium of M. restricta, suggesting that biomolecules secreted by M. restricta such as secretory aspartyl proteases may degrade the biofilm structure. We also examined the transcriptional changes in S. aureus co-cultured with M. restricta and found co-cultured S. aureus showed increased expression of genes encoding ribosomal proteins and downregulation of those involved in riboflavin metabolism. These transcriptome data of co-cultured fungal and bacterial species demonstrate a dynamic interplay between the two co-existing genera.

• 대한화장품학회지
• /
• 제47권3호
• /
• pp.247-254
• /
• 2021

여드름은 털피지샘단위(pilosebaceous unit)와 관련된 만성 염증 피부 질환으로, 여드름 병변에서는 피지 과다분비(hyperseborrhea)나 이상분비(dysseborrhea), 염증반응, 그리고 다른 피부상재균들에 비해 증가된 Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes)로 인한 피부 미생물 균총의 불균형이 관찰된다. 이 연구는 개똥쑥 추출물(Artemisia annua extract: AAE)의 항여드름 효과를 확인한 것으로, 피부 미생물 균총의 균형유지와 관련된 항균효과와 염증반응의 억제, 과도한 피지 분비의 감소 측면에서 실험을 진행하였다. C. acnes와 Staphylococcus epidermidis(S. epidermidis)를 AAE와 공동배양 하였을 때, S. epidermidis의 성장률은 저해되지 않았지만 C. acnes의 성장률은 저해된 것을 확인하였다. 또한 AAE를 처리하여 배양한 C. acnes 배양배지를 세포에 처리하였을 때, 인터루킨-1β(IL-1β), 종양괴사인자-α(TNF-α)와 인터루킨-6(IL-6) 같은 사이토카인 분비의 감소와 TLR2 활성 억제도 확인하였다. 마지막으로 피지세포에 AAE를 처리한 결과, 팔미트산에 의해 유도된 피지형성을 감소시키는 것을 확인하였다. 이 결과들은 AAE가 다양한 타깃을 지닌 천연추출물로써 여드름의 주요 원인들인 C. acnes의 선택적 성장저해와 C. acnes로부터 유도되는 염증반응을 억제할 수 있으며, 과도한 피지형성을 감소시켜 결과적으로 여드름을 완화시키는 물질로 사용될 수 있다는 것을 제시한다.

• 대한화장품학회지
• /
• 제48권3호
• /
• pp.197-212
• /
• 2022

본 연구는 우리나라 국민 20 ~ 49 세 연령군 가운데 289 명을 대상으로 피부 마이크로바이옴의 요인들인 유익균, 상재균, 여드름균이 유해균에 미치는 영향과 상호작용을 실증적으로 분석하기 위해 수행되었다. 피부 마이크로바이옴의 바이오 빅데이타를 활용하여 다중회귀모형으로 분석한 결과, 연구대상의 성별과 연령에 따른 피부 마이크로바이옴의 차이를 통제한 경우, 유익균은 유해균에 부(-)의 영향을 나타내었고, 상재균과 여드름균은 정(+)의 영향을 나타냈다. 특히 유익균이 유해균에 미치는 부(-)의 영향은 상재균의 수준에 따라 여드름균과의 상호작용을 통해 다르게 나타났다. 이러한 결과는 유익균의 활성화가 유해균을 억제하며, 피부 마이크로바이옴이 유해균에 미치는 영향은 독립적인 영향과 함께 상호작용을 통해서 피부 마이크로바이옴의 균형을 이루고 있음을 실증적으로 검증한 것이다. 따라서 개인 맞춤형 화장품 제조산업에서 유익균의 증식을 돕고 유해균을 억제하는 피부 환경을 조성하기 위한 피부 마이크로바이옴 제품을 연구할 때, 반드시 피부 마이크로바이옴 요인들의 독립적인 영향과 상호작용을 함께 고려해야 함을 시사한다.

• 한국해양바이오학회지
• /
• 제12권1호
• /
• pp.20-28
• /
• 2020

Symbiodinium is a dinoflagellate genus that coexists with coral reefs and is known to provide ultraviolet (UV) protection in nature through the synthesis of mycosporin-like amino acids (MAA). In order to develop a natural and ecofriendly sunblock for use in summer resorts, the possibility of using a Symbiodinium microbiome extract or an MAA was investigated. Two sunblocks, one containing 7% Symbiodinium extract and the other containing MAA were prepared to be tested on hairless mice and human skin. In this clinical study, the sun protection factor (SPF) and Protection factor of UV A (PFA) values of the sunblock containing either Symbiodinium extract or MAA were determined. The SPF values of the sunblock containing Symbiodinium extract and MAA were 10.43 and 10.83, respectively, and the PFA values were 3.42 and 3.39, respectively. Based on their PFA values of ≥2, the UV A protection can be graded as PA+ (low) for both the sunblocks. In addition, the UV-blocking extract of Symbiodinium has a low phototoxicity and cytotoxicity, reducing the possibility of a heavy feeling to the skin or a foreign-body sensation caused by residue build-up. The low toxicity feature of the major sunblock component will also prevent side effects, such as allergic reactions. Although Symbiodinium extract or MAA alone do not provide effectiveprotection against UV irradiation, their protection capacity can be complemented by the addition of inorganic UV-protecting compounds.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• 제30권8호
• /
• pp.1195-1206
• /
• 2020

Beringraja pulchra, Cham-hong-eo in Korean, is a mottled skate which is belonging to the cartilaginous fish. Although this species is economically valuable in South Korea as an alkaline-fermented food, there are few microbial studies on such fermentation. Here, we analyzed microbial changes and pH before, during, and after fermentation and examined the effect of inoculation by a skin microbiota mixture on the skate fermentation (control vs. treatment). To analyze microbial community, the V4 regions of bacterial 16S rRNA genes from the skates were amplified, sequenced and analyzed. During the skate fermentation, pH and total number of marine bacteria increased in both groups, while microbial diversity decreased after fermentation. Pseudomonas, which was predominant in the initial skate, declined by fermentation (Day 0: 11.39 ± 5.52%; Day 20: 0.61 ± 0.9%), while the abundance of Pseudoalteromonas increased dramatically (Day 0: 1.42 ± 0.41%; Day 20: 64.92 ± 24.15%). From our co-occurrence analysis, the Pseudoalteromonas was positively correlated with Aerococcaceae (r = 0.638) and Moraxella (r = 0.474), which also increased with fermentation, and negatively correlated with Pseudomonas (r = -0.847) during fermentation. There are no critically significant differences between control and treatment. These results revealed that the alkaline fermentation of skates dramatically changed the microbiota, but the initial inoculation by a skin microbiota mixture didn't show critical changes in the final microbial community. Our results extended understanding of microbial interactions and provided the new insights of microbial changes during alkaline fermentation.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
• /
• 제50권4호
• /
• pp.465-476
• /
• 2022

The importance of beneficial microorganisms, particularly probiotics, that coexist in the human body, is being increasingly recognized. Probiotics are representative health functional foods that provide health benefits to humans through the production of various metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids. However, the health benefits are strain-specific, and the use of each probiotic strain should follow guidelines that assure its safety. Accurate identification of the strain should be managed through genetic and phenotypic analyses of the strain. Besides, the functionality of probiotics should be disclosed in vitro and in vivo so that they can be used as legal functional ingredients (i.e., individual standards). In this review, we deal with the guidelines, including the technical factors related to probiotic strains. The common health effects of probiotic strains include proliferation of beneficial bacteria, control of harmful bacteria, and facilitation of bowel activities. Probiotics with various functionalities (e.g., body fat and cholesterol reduction, vaginal health, and improvement of skin's immune system) have been investigated as "individual standards of raw materials for health functional foods" provided by MFDS. In the future, various biotechnologies including synthetic biology can be applied to produce customized probiotics to improve human health.

• 대한의생명과학회지
• /
• 제28권4호
• /
• pp.317-321
• /
• 2022

Due to COVID-19 pandemic, wearing face masks is obligatory to prevent respiratory virus transmissions in the community. However, there are few studies of the desirable number of wearing a face mask, and how to store them for reuse. Therefore, in this study, a survey was conducted among 208 healthy adults, and 27 kf-94 masks worn for 1, 2, and 3 days were collected. To estimate the risk of bacterial contamination, we analyzed the extent of bacterial contamination of the BHI medium and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. With an increase in the number of days of using the mask, the degree of bacterial contamination of the used mask gradually increased. As a result of 16S rRNA PCR performed for strain identification, Staphylococcus, known as a pathogenic bacterium, was identified the most. In conclusion, we found that wearing a cotton KF mask provides an optimal environment for microbes, which are related to the skin and respiratory system, to thrive. Therefore, it is also important to reduce the risk of bacterial infection of the face mask with appropriate sterilization methods.