Sweat and Sebum Preferences of the Human Skin Microbiota.

ABSTRACT: The microorganisms inhabiting human skin must overcome numerous challenges that typically impede microbial growth, including low pH, osmotic pressure, and low nutrient availability. Yet the skin microbiota thrive on the skin and have adapted to these stressful conditions. The limited nutrients available for microbial use in this unique niche include those from host-derived sweat, sebum, and corneocytes. Here, we have developed physiologically relevant, synthetic skin-like growth media composed of compounds present in sweat and sebum. We find that skin-associated bacterial species exhibit unique growth profiles at different concentrations of artificial sweat and sebum. Most strains evaluated demonstrate a preference for high sweat concentrations, while the sebum preference is highly variabl

SUBMITTER: Swaney MH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9927561 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature