Host/Malassezia Interaction: A Quantitative, Non-Invasive Method Profiling Oxylipin Production Associates Human Skin Eicosanoids with Malassezia.

Yohannes Abere Ambaw,Federico T Torta,Manfred Raida,Antony S Irudayaswamy,Thomas L Dawson,Markus R Wenk,Martin P Pagac,Anne K Bendt

doi:10.3390/metabo11100700

Abstract

Malassezia are common components of human skin, and as the dominant human skin eukaryotic microbe, they take part in complex microbe–host interactions. Other phylogenetically related fungi (including within Ustilagomycotina) communicate with their plant host through bioactive oxygenated polyunsaturated fatty acids, generally known as oxylipins, by regulating the plant immune system to increase their virulence. Oxylipins are similar in structure and function to human eicosanoids, which modulate the human immune system. This study reports the development of a highly sensitive mass-spectrometry-based method to capture and quantify bioactive oxygenated polyunsaturated fatty acids from the human skin surface and in vitro Malassezia cultures. It confirms that Malassezia are capable of synthesizing eicosanoid-like lipid mediators in vitro in a species dependent manner, many of which are found on human skin. This method enables sensitive identification and quantification of bioactive lipid mediators from human skin that may be derived from metabolic pathways shared between skin and its microbial residents. This enables better cross-disciplinary and detailed studies to dissect the interaction between Malassezia and human skin, and to identify potential intervention points to promote or abrogate inflammation and to improve human skin health.

Highlights

Skin, the largest human organ, fulfils a number of vital functions related to communication with or protection from our environment
This does not take into account the complex three-dimensional structure of skin, and if one includes the high level of topography, numerous pores, secretory glands, and hair follicle openings, one finds that the skin surface area is more likely approximates 30 m2, much more similar to the lung and gut [1]
As we are primarily interested in signaling lipids of sebaceous and Malassezia origin, we designed a strategy to target unbound polar lipids as opposed to membrane bound epidermal lipids that are primarily attached to adhesive tapes

Summary

Introduction

The largest human organ, fulfils a number of vital functions related to communication with or protection from our environment. As new tools and data become available to study the human skin microbiome, it has become clear that the fungal “mycobiome” plays a larger role in the skin microbiome than in either gut or lung [3]. This may be due to the nature and exposure of skin, to the more aerobic nature of the niche, or to the lower temperature (as fungi are less frequent inhabitants of 37 ◦C environments)

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Results

Conclusion