Mammalian Skin Research Articles

Isolation and Identification of Staphylococcus Species Obtained from Healthy Companion Animals and Humans.

The close contact between people and their pets has generated the exchange of skin microbiota, accompanied by bacteria that present resistance to antibiotics. Staphylococcus spp., opportunistic pathogens present in the skin and mucosa of mammals, have had their importance recognized in human and veterinary medicine. The objectives of this study were to identify Staphylococcus spp. present in isolates from the nostrils of healthy humans, dogs and cats as well as to determine their phenotype of resistance to methicillin. Strain identification was performed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and antimicrobial susceptibility was determined using a disk diffusion assay for 12 antibiotics. Sixty humans (veterinary and technicians), sixty dogs and sixty cats were sampled; of them, 61.6%, 56.6% and 46.6%, respectively, carried Staphylococcus spp. in their nostrils, and only two people carried two different species of Staphylococcus in the only anatomical site sampled. A methicillin-resistant phenotype was present in 48.7% of the humans, 26.5% of the dogs and 57.1% of the cats, and sampled. These results demonstrate the presence of Staphylococcus spp. strains resistant to methicillin in personnel who work in contact with animals, as well as in dogs and cats that entered the same hospital or veterinary clinic, which alerts us to the potential transfer of these strains to or between people, dogs and/or cats.

Diffusion in a realistic simulated model for the stratum corneum

The outermost layer of mammalian skin, called the stratum corneum (SC), constitutes a self-healing barrier against moisture loss and ingress of foreign substances. The SC comprises flat “bricks” (50-100 micron wide and 1 micron thick corneocytes largely filled with keratins) held together by a “mortar” of 6-10 layers of lipids (100 nm thick). The corneocytes are hydrophilic, while the lipid matrix is hydrophobic. The ability and way of a chemical to pass the SC is a key point for risk assessment and development of cosmetics.

<i>Staphylococcus xylosus</i> Isolation of Conjunctival Secretions in an 8-Year-Old Child at Sikasso Hospital (Mali): About a Case

Staphylococcus xylosus is a species of bacteria belonging to the genus Staphylococcus. This genus currently includes several species and subspecies. We distinguish between 2 groups: the group of coagulase-positive staphylococci (CoPS) and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), a larger group that includes more than forty species and subspecies. Among the CoNS, Staphylococcus xylosus occupies a special place because it is frequently isolated from meats, dairy products, and agricultural environments. It is commonly used in fermentation due to its primary role in the flavor and color development of fermented products. It is a commensal bacterium of the skin of small mammals and farm animals, where it constitutes the majority of flora. In this species, there are a large number of strains, including phenotypes and genotypes. Although S. xylosus is actually a recognized non-pathogenic species, a few strains can be potentially dangerous. They can thus be responsible for mastitis and dermatitis in cattle. With the multiplicity of breeding farms, the consumption of livestock products and the increasingly frequent contact of humans with animals a few rare cases of human opportunistic infections have also been reported in the literature. These include pyelonephritis, endocarditis, urinary, lymphatic, and lymph node infections, contamination of orthopedic materials and catheters. Thereby, we report the case of a lingering and chronic infection of the lacrimal tract by Staphylococcus xylosus in an 8-year-old child in the Ophthalmology Department of Sikasso hospital in Mali.

Genomic characterization, antimicrobial resistance profiles, enterotoxin, and biofilm production of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from clinical and animal products origins in Eastern Turkey

ABSTRACT: Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic and ubiquitous pathogen found in the skin, nares, and mucosal membranes of mammals. Increasing resistance to antimicrobials including methicillin has become an important public concern. One hundred and eight (108) S. aureus strains isolated from a total of 572 clinical and animal products samples, were investigated for their biofilm capability, methicillin resistance, enterotoxin genes, and genetic diversity. Although only one strain isolated from raw retail was found as a strong biofilm producer, the percentage of antimicrobial resistance pattern was relatively higher. 17.59% of S. aureus strains tested in this study were resistant to cefoxitin and identified as methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolates. mecA and mecC harboring S. aureus strains were detected at a rate of 2.79% and 0.93%, respectively. In addition, staphylococcal enterotoxin genes including Sea, Seb, Sec, and Sed genes were found to be 18.5%, 32.4%, 6.5% and 3.7%, respectively. The phylogenetic relationship among the isolates showed relationship between joint calf and cow milk isolates. Multi locus sequence typing (MLST) revealed three different sequence types (STs) including ST84, ST829, and ST6238. These findings highlight the development and spread of MRSA strains with zoonotic potential in animals and the food chain throughout the world.

On the taxonomy of dermatophytes belonging to the Trichophyton mentagrophytes species complex

The fungi from the Trichophyton mentagrophytes / T. interdigitale species complex are the prevalent causative agents of skin and hair disease in humans and other mammals. Here we review lines of evidence supporting the recognition of three independent species within the complex in the light of more recent contradicting data and conclude that none of them are satisfactory. While ITS region genotyping appears to be more reasonable when compared to species identification, the knowledge on epidemiological sources, regional distribution and antifungal drug resistance of T. mentagrophytes / T. interdigitale genetic lineages is still incomplete.

Biomechanical fracture mechanics of composite layered skin-like materials.

Most protective biological tissues are structurally comprised of a stiff and thin outer layer on top of a soft underlying substrate. Examples include mammalian skin, fish scales, crustacean shells, and nut and seed shells. While these composite skin-like tissues are ubiquitous in nature, their mechanics of failure and what potential mechanical advantages their composite structures offer remains unclear. In this work, changes in the puncture mechanics of composite hyperelastic elastomers with differing non-dimensional layer thicknesses are explored. Puncture behavior of these membranes is measured for dull and sharp conical indenters. Membranes with a stiff outer layer of only 1% of the overall composite thickness exhibit a puncture energy comparable to membranes with a stiff outer layer approximately 20 times thicker. This puncture energy, scaled by its flexural capacity, achieves a local maximum when the top layer is approximately 1% of the total membrane, similar to the structure of numerous mammalian species. The mode of failure for these regimes is also investigated. In contrast with puncture directly beneath sharp tips caused by high stress concentrations, a new type of 'coring' type fracture emerges at large indentation depths, resulting from accumulated tensile strain energy along the sides of the divot as the membrane is deformed with a blunt indenter. These results could enhance the durability and robustness of stretchable materials used for products such as surgical gloves, packaging, and flexible electronics.

Antifungal Activity of the Essential Oils of Osteophloeum platyspermum (Myristicaceae) against Malassezia spp. and Candida albicans Influenced by Seasonality and Climatic Factors

Aims: Malassezia spp. are involved in a wide range of mammalian skin diseases. The introduction of new drugs is a need. Natural products are known to be effective in the treatment of microbial pathogens. The present study analyzed the O. platyspermum leaf essential oils (EOs) antifungal activity.
 Study Design: 18 terpenes from 13 O. platyspermum leaf EOs are related to seasonal and climatic variations occurring during the dry (DS) and rainy (RS) seasons in the Amazon Rain-Forest, verified by means of multivariate analyses.
 Place and Duration of the Study: the study was conducted at the Center for Research in Biodiversity (Microbiology Laboratory and Cell Culture Laboratory), Paulista University, biological activity evaluations occurred between January/2019 and December 2019).
 Methodology: microdilution broth assay was used in the minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC). Multivariate analyses were used to access the relationship among MBC, seasonality and terpene composition of the EOs.
 Results: Malassezia pachydermatis showed higher sensitivity to the EOs than M. furfur or C. albicans. The DS EOs were linked to the presence of limonene, myrcene, α-terpineol, linalool, terpinen-4-ol, cubenol-1-epi, influenced by insolation, temperature and evaporation, while β-elemene, γ-elemene, neo-intermedeol, elemol, α-cadinol, spathulenol, isospathulenol, viridiflorol, δ-amorphene and ledol were linked to the RS EOs, and were influenced by precipitation, relative humidity and wind velocity. DS EOs showed better antifungal activity against both Malassezia species, and the presence of the six discriminative terpenes was essential for the antifungal activity.
 Conclusions: The DS EOs are a potential source of new leads to defeat animal dermatological microbes.

Study on some characteristics of fish scale collagen modified by UV irradiation

AbstractCollagen is a structural protein composed of three α‐chains wound together in a tight triple helix, occurring abundantly in the skin and connective tissues of mammals, as well as other clades of the animal kingdom. Many studies have demonstrated that collagen has good biocompatibility and contains essential amino acids of great value to the medical and pharmaceutical industry. In this study, collagen was extracted from common carp (Cyprinus carpio) scales and physically modified by UV irradiation. Methods of IR, HPLC and FESEM analysis were used for determination of functional group, chemical composition and morphological changes of modified collagen samples. The denaturation temperature of collagen samples was determined based on the change in relative viscosity of collagen solution as increasing temperature from 10 oC to 50 oC. Finally, hemostatic activity of the modified collagen samples was assessed in vitro. The obtained results showed that UV‐treatment of collagen led to significant changes in its properties. After UV treatment, the thermal stability and hemostatic ability of modified collagen samples was improved. Overall, total irradiation duration of 3.6s to 6s was adequate, and produced collagen samples with improved thermal stability and hemostatic activity.

Stretchable Conductive Fabric Enabled By Surface Functionalization of Commercial Knitted Cloth.

Textile-based stretchable electronic devices are one of the best candidates for future wearable applications, as they can simultaneously provide high compliance and wearing comfort to the human body. Stretchable conductive textile is the fundamental building block for constructing high-performance textile-based stretchable electronic devices. Here, we report a simple strategy for the fabrication of stretchable conductive fabric using commercial knitted cloth as a substrate. Briefly, we coated the fibers of the fabric with a thin layer of poly(styrene-block-butadiene-block-styrene) (SBS) by dip-coating. Then, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were loaded on the fabric by sequential absorption and in situ reduction. After loading AgNPs, the conductivity of the fabric could be as high as ∼800 S/m, while its maximal strain at break was higher than 540%. Meanwhile, such fabric also possesses excellent permeability, robust endurance to repeated stretching, long-time washing, and mechanical rubbing or tearing. We further approve that the fabric is less cytotoxic to mammalian skin and antibacterial to microbial, making it safe for on-skin applications. With these multifarious advantages, the fabric developed here is promising for on-skin wearable applications. As a proof-of-concept, we demonstrate its use as an electrode for collecting electrocardiograph signals and electrothermal therapy.

Stable analogs of 13‑hydroxy-9,10-trans-epoxy-(11E)-octadecenoate (13,9-HEL), an oxidized derivative of linoleic acid implicated in the epidermal skin barrier

Hydroxy-epoxy- and trihydroxy derivatives of linoleic acid are proposed to play an essential function in formation of the mammalian skin permeability barrier, which could account for the essential nature of its precursor, linoleic acid. Recent literature suggests that a specific oxidized enone derivative of LA esterified in ceramides facilitates binding to proteins, potentially serving a structural role in formation of the epidermal skin barrier. However, it is still to be established if other linoleic acid derivatives are also required for skin barrier formation, and whether the essential role is performed exclusively by an esterified, structural lipid or as an unesterified, labile signaling lipid, or by some combination of these derivatives. Progress in this domain is limited by lack of availability of hydroxy‑epoxy-and trihydroxy- and octadecenoate derivatives of linoleic acid and related compounds, and challenges in maintaining them in the unesterified lipid pool. Here we describe methods for the total synthesis of hydroxy‑epoxy-octadecenoate derivatives of linoleic acid (HEL11HEL=hydroxy epoxide linoleic acid derivativeTHL=trihydroxy linoleic acid derivativeSA=sebaleic acid), and stable analogs that are designed to be resistant to inactivation by: (a) acylation/esterification (thus trapping these lipids in the free acid pool), (b) dehydrogenation, and (c) analogs combining both modifications. We further provide a total synthesis of corresponding hydroxy‑epoxy- derivatives of sebaleic acid (a regioisomer of linoleic acid present in skin), and of small molecule scaffolds containing the allylic and non-allylic epoxide 7-carbon substructures shared by both families of hydroxy‑epoxy-and trihydroxy- octadecenoates. Finally, we demonstrate that 2,2-dimethyl analogs of hydroxy‑epoxy-and trihydroxy- octadecenoates are resistant to esterification with an in vitro assay and thus provide a novel template for stabilizing labile, bioactive lipids as free acids by preventing acylation/esterification.

Modulating Cellular Responses to Mechanical Forces to Promote Wound Regeneration.

Significance: Skin scarring poses a major biomedical burden for hundreds of millions of patients annually. However, this burden could be mitigated by therapies that promote wound regeneration, with full recovery of skin's normal adnexa, matrix ultrastructure, and mechanical strength. Recent Advances: The observation of wound regeneration in several mouse models suggests a retained capacity for postnatal mammalian skin to regenerate under the right conditions. Mechanical forces are a major contributor to skin fibrosis and a prime target for devices and therapeutics that could promote skin regeneration. Critical Issues: Wound-induced hair neogenesis, Acomys "spiny" mice, Murphy Roths Large mice, and mice treated with mechanotransduction inhibitors all show various degrees of wound regeneration. Comparison of regenerating wounds in these models against scarring wounds reveals differences in extracellular matrix interactions and in mechanosensitive activation of key signaling pathways, including Wnt, Sonic hedgehog, focal adhesion kinase, and Yes-associated protein. The advent of single-cell "omics" technologies has deepened this understanding and revealed that regeneration may recapitulate development in certain contexts, although it is unknown whether these mechanisms are relevant to healing in tight-skinned animals such as humans. Future Directions: While early findings in mice are promising, comparison across model systems is needed to resolve conflicting mechanisms and to identify conserved master regulators of skin regeneration. There also remains a dire need for studies on mechanomodulation of wounds in large, tight-skinned animals, such as red Duroc pigs, which better approximate human wound healing.

362 Not just a cell marker: DPP4 modulates regeneration of hair follicles in large wounds

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP4) is a serine peptidase which cleaves the last 2 amino acids at N-terminus of substrates with penultimate proline or Alanine. The majority of mammalian skin fibroblast express this molecule on their surface and pharmacological inhibition of DPP4 in splinted wounds results in decreased deposition of scar tissue. Other cell types of the skin have been reported to express this molecule and it is hypothesized to participate in many physiological and pathological processes. So far the expression pattern, regulation and exact functions of DPP4 in the skin during homeostasis and wound healing remain unknown. We investigate DPP4 in the context of healing of large wounds, which are able to regenerate hair follicles. In comparison, small wounds do not show this wound induced hair follicle neogenesis (WIHN). For WHIN, Wnt-Signals from the dermis and later from the epidermis need to be produced in a window of time of approximately 9 to 15 days post wounding (pw). Our studies show a downregulation of DPP4/Dpp4 upon wounding at the beginning of the inflammatory phase and at the beginning of activationd of WIHN (pw9). Interestingly the center of wounds show reduced numbers of DPP4 positive cells compared to the wound margins, where normally no WIHN takes place. Detailed Investigation of cutaneous cell populations show a differential Regulation of DPP4 in dermal, epithelial and immune cells. Inhibition of DPP4 around pw9 interestingly increases the number of WIHN hair follicles and the Expression of Wnt Targets and ligands in the Skin. Together our observations support the notion of DPP4 being a inhibitory factor for hair follicle regeneration

Chitosan/gelatin/PVA membranes for mammalian cell culture

The study aims to fabricate and characterize biodegradable membranes, comprising of chitosan/gelatin/ polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) terpolymers to replace the use of synthetic membranes for mammalian cell culture. Blends of chitosan, PVA and gelatin, in varying ratios, were solution cast to fabricate macroporous membranes. The membranes were characterised using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The influence of different ratios of polymers on membrane properties, such as in vitro degradation, apparent density and water contact angle were investigated. The biocompatibility of the membranes was confirmed using the 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Further, a mammalian skin keratinocyte (HaCat) cell line was employed to ascertain cellular adhesion and proliferation on the membranes. The developed macroporous membranes supported the adhesion and growth of mammalian cells and were thus found to be suitable and sustainable alternatives to synthetic membranes for in vitro cell culture.

Melanogenesis and Melasma Treatment

Melanocytes are highly specialised dendritic cells that transfer melanin to keratinocytes in subcellular lysosome-like organelles called melanosomes, where melanin is synthesised and stored. Melanin is a complex pigment that provides colour and photoprotection to the skin, hair, and eyes of mammals. The regulation of melanogenesis includes various mechanisms and factors including genetic, environmental, and endocrine factors. Knowledge of the pigmentation process is important not only to understand hyperpigmentation but also to design treatments and therapies to treat them. Whitening cosmetics with anti-melanogenesis activity are very popular. In the present manuscript, we review the mechanisms and the signalling pathways involved in skin pigmentation and we specifically focus on the alteration of melanogenesis that leads to melasma and results in hyperpigmentation. Finally, current therapies and treatments including topical, oral, and phototherapies are discussed and described, with a special emphasis on the cosmetics’ action.

Probing the Formation and Conformational Relaxation of Previtamin D3 and Analogues in Solution and in Lipid Bilayers.

The photosynthesis of vitamin D3 in mammalian skin results from UV-B irradiation of provitamin D3 (7-dehydrocholesterol, DHC) at ca. 290 nm. Upon return to the ground state, the hexatriene product, previtamin D3, undergoes a conformational equilibration between helical gZg and more planar tZg and tZt forms. The helical gZg forms provide a pathway for the formation of vitamin D3 via a [1,7]-sigmatropic hydrogen shift. Steady state photolysis and UV transient absorption spectroscopy are combined to explore the conformational relaxation of previtamin D3 formed from DHC in isotropic solution and confined to lipid bilayers chosen to model the biological cell membrane. The results are compared with measurements for two analogues: previtamin D2 formed from ergosterol (provitamin D2) and previtamin D3 acetate formed from DHC acetate. The resulting spectral dynamics are interpreted in the context of simulations of optical excitation energy and oscillator strength as a function of conformation. In solution, the relaxation dynamics and steady state product distributions of the three compounds are nearly identical, favoring tZg forms. When confined to lipid bilayers, the heterogeneity and packing forces alter the conformational distributions and enhance the population of a gZg conformer capable of vitamin D formation.

Advances in Understanding Leishmania Pathobiology: What Does RNA-Seq Tell Us?

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease caused by a protozoa parasite from over 20 Leishmania species. The clinical manifestations and the outcome of the disease vary greatly. Global RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analyses emerged as a powerful technique to profile the changes in the transcriptome that occur in the Leishmania parasites and their infected host cells as the parasites progresses through their life cycle. Following the bite of a sandfly vector, Leishmania are transmitted to a mammalian host where neutrophils and macrophages are key cells mediating the interactions with the parasites and result in either the elimination the infection or contributing to its proliferation. This review focuses on RNA-Seq based transcriptomics analyses and summarizes the main findings derived from this technology. In doing so, we will highlight caveats in our understanding of the parasite’s pathobiology and suggest novel directions for research, including integrating more recent data highlighting the role of the bacterial members of the sandfly gut microbiota and the mammalian host skin microbiota in their potential role in influencing the quantitative and qualitative aspects of leishmaniasis pathology.

A stress-induced miR-31-CLOCK-ERK pathway is a key driver and therapeutic target for skin aging.

Regressive changes in epithelial stem cells underlie mammalian skin aging, but the driving mechanisms are not well understood. Here, we report that mouse skin hair follicle stem cell (HFSC) aging is initiated by their intrinsic upregulation of miR-31, a microRNA that can be induced by physical injury or genotoxic stress and is also strongly upregulated in aged human skin epithelium. Using transgenic and conditional knockout mouse models plus a lineage-tracing technique, we show that miR-31 acts as a key driver of HFSC aging by directly targeting Clock, a core circadian clock gene whose deregulation activates a MAPK/ERK cascade to induce HFSC depletion via transepidermal elimination. Notably, blocking this pathway by either conditional miR-31 ablation or clinically approved MAPK/ERK inhibitors provides safe and effective protection against skin aging, enlightening a promising therapeutic avenue for treating skin aging and other genotoxic stress-induced skin conditions such as radiodermatitis.

The anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein regulates hair follicle stem cell function

Maintaining the architecture, size and composition of an intact stem cell (SC) compartment is crucial for tissue homeostasis and regeneration throughout life. In mammalian skin, elevated expression of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein has been reported in hair follicle (HF) bulge SCs (BSCs), but its impact on SC function is unknown. Here, we show that systemic exposure of mice to the Bcl-2 antagonist ABT-199/venetoclax leads to the selective loss of suprabasal BSCs (sbBSCs), thereby disrupting cyclic HF regeneration. RNAseq analysis shows that the pro-apoptotic BH3-only proteins BIM and Bmf are upregulated in sbBSCs, explaining their addiction to Bcl-2 and the marked susceptibility to Bcl-2 antagonism. In line with these observations, conditional knockout of Bcl-2 in mouse epidermis elevates apoptosis in BSCs. In contrast, ectopic Bcl-2 expression blocks apoptosis during HF regression, resulting in the accumulation of quiescent SCs and delaying HF growth in mice. Strikingly, Bcl-2-induced changes in size and composition of the HF bulge accelerate tumour formation. Our study identifies a niche-instructive mechanism of Bcl-2-regulated apoptosis response that is required for SC homeostasis and tissue regeneration, and may suppress carcinogenesis.

Associations between Afrotropical bats, eukaryotic parasites, and microbial symbionts.

Skin is the largest mammalian organ and the first defensive barrier against the external environment. The skin and fur of mammals can host a wide variety of ectoparasites, many of which are phylogenetically diverse, specialized, and specifically adapted to their hosts. Among hematophagous dipteran parasites, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are known to serve as important attractants, leading parasites to compatible sources of blood meals. VOCs have been hypothesized to be mediated by host‐associated bacteria, which may thereby indirectly influence parasitism. Host‐associated bacteria may also influence parasitism directly, as has been observed in interactions between animal gut microbiota and malarial parasites. Hypotheses relating bacterial symbionts and eukaryotic parasitism have rarely been tested among humans and domestic animals, and to our knowledge have not been tested in wild vertebrates. In this study, we used Afrotropical bats, hematophagous ectoparasitic bat flies, and haemosporidian (malarial) parasites vectored by bat flies as a model to test the hypothesis that the vertebrate host microbiome is linked to parasitism in a wild system. We identified significant correlations between bacterial community composition of the skin and dipteran ectoparasite prevalence across four major bat lineages, as well as striking differences in skin microbial network characteristics between ectoparasitized and nonectoparasitized bats. We also identified links between the oral microbiome and presence of malarial parasites among miniopterid bats. Our results support the hypothesis that microbial symbionts may serve as indirect mediators of parasitism among eukaryotic hosts and parasites.

Archaea Are Rare and Uncommon Members of the Mammalian Skin Microbiome

ABSTRACTAlthough previous research demonstrates that skin-associated archaea are rarely detected within human skin microbiome data, exist at relatively low abundance, and are primarily affiliated with the Methanobacteriota and Halobacteriota phyla, other studies suggest that archaea are consistently detected and relatively abundant on human skin, with skin “archaeomes” dominated by putative ammonia oxidizers of the Nitrososphaeria class (Thermoproteota phylum, formerly Thaumarchaeota). Here, we evaluated new and existing 16S rRNA gene sequence data sourced from mammalian skin and skin-associated surfaces and generated with two commonly used universal prokaryotic primer sets to assess archaeal prevalence, relative abundance, and taxonomic distribution. Archaeal 16S rRNA gene sequences were detected in only 17.5% of 1,688 samples by high-throughput sequence data, with most of the archaeon-positive samples associated with nonhuman mammalian skin. Only 5.9% of human-associated skin sample data sets contained sequences affiliated with archaeal 16S rRNA genes. When detected, the relative abundance of sequences affiliated with archaeal amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) was less than 1% for most mammalian skin samples and did not exceed 2% for any samples. Although several computer keyboard microbial profiles were dominated by Nitrososphaeria sequences, all other skin microbiome data sets tested were primarily composed of sequences affiliated with Methanobacteriota and Halobacteriota phyla. Our findings revise downward recent estimates of human skin archaeal distributions and relative abundances, especially those affiliated with the Nitrososphaeria, reflecting a limited and infrequent archaeal presence within the mammalian skin microbiome.IMPORTANCE The current state of research on mammalian skin-associated archaea is limited, with the few papers focusing on potential skin archaeal communities often in disagreement with each other. As such, there is no consensus on the prevalence or taxonomic composition of archaea on mammalian skin. Mammalian skin health is in part influenced by its complex microbiota and consortium of bacteria and potential archaea. Without a clear foundational analysis and characterization of the mammalian skin archaeome, it will be difficult for future research to explore the potential impact of skin-associated archaea on skin health and function. The current work provides a much-needed analysis of the mammalian skin archaeome and contributes to building a foundation from which further discussion and exploration of the skin archaeome might continue.